


The Oath

by Blue_Night



Series: Trifels: Tales and Legends from the Pfälzer Wald [3]
Category: Football RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe, Atoning, Beating, Castles, Drunkness, Explicit Sexual Content, Fate & Destiny, Fights, Historical Places, Killing, Love and trust, M/M, Middle Ages, Minor Character Death, Oaths & Vows, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rape Recovery, Rape/Non-con Elements, Religion and Faith, Suicidal Thoughts, Vomiting, church
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-04-24 03:30:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 35,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4903930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/pseuds/Blue_Night
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mario, the son of an important earl has caused the death of Marco, a young servant. It wasn't intentional, but Mario considers himself a murderer and atones for what he has done in a very cruel way. Will Robert, Earl of Lindelborn be able to save him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dark Memories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [superfragalistic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/superfragalistic/gifts).



> Dear superfragalisitc, you are one of my biggest supporters of my story 'The Treasure Of Castle Trifels'; and you were the one asking what happened to the 'first' Mario. I thought a very long time about whether I should answer this question or not, but finally decided to do it - in a way that my readers will know the answer, but not the characters in the second part of the series. I want to gift this to you because I wouldn't have written this without your encouragment and excitment about part two of the Trifels-series. This is the darkest story I've ever written so far and it isn't going to be a happy one. If you won't feel comfortable with this part being gifted to you, please let me know, I will understand it and remove the gift without feeling offended. 
> 
> Dear readers, I broke with one of my rules for this story: never writing about rape when it comes to real person fiction. The rapes are only mentioned and not written explicitly, but still. The Middle Ages were rough and hard times, not the least as romantic as shown in most of our movies and please, bear in mind there lived only little women on castles and that the Church had a much more important role in these old days. Guilt and sin were judged from another kind of understanding of God and faith than they are judged nowadays.  
> I stayed in character with the Marian and Mario of the second part and the ending won't be a happy one, because this would be a break in the story-line when it comes to the happenings from servant Marco's death over what happened to Marian and Hilarius to the present in 2020, when the boys try to deliver Hilarius from his fate.  
> This story tells you what happened to Mario after Marco's death and it will have three chapters. You don't have to read it for understanding part one and two, if you're not comfortable with the tags I put in. 
> 
> If you'll give it a try and read it, then please, share your opinion with me and tell me what you think about this part of my series. 
> 
> The castles mentioned in this story are all historical places, the ruins still exist and I visited most of them. The original characters I created are fictional and not historical people. The Earl of Castle Drachenfels Eberhart is the same character as the monk Eusebius from part two. Monks had clerical names when they joined an abbey and therefore, the names are different, but the person is the same.
> 
> Castle Lindelbron: (Castle Lindelbrunn): the name most likely comes from a lime tree standing near the well of the castle.  
> Castle Drachenfels: Castle 'Dragonrock', there is still a dragon carved in the stone of one the old chambers, still visible on the wall of the ruin.  
> Castle Weglenburg: there is no translation for the name, maybe, the castle lay next to an important route or 'path'.
> 
> A million thanks to amazing GoForGoals for reassuring and encouraging me to give this story a try and telling me her thoughts. Thank you, sweetie!

He had killed someone.

He hadn't used his own bloody hands to do it, but, he had killed him, nonetheless.

He was responsible for the death of a breathing and living being, had loaded the imperishable guilt of killing another human upon his shoulders and his soul. This human being was dead because of him and nothing could take away this guilt from him, never.

The memory of what he had done stayed with him and never faded, neither during the dark days he had to go through, nor through his even darker nights.

He had tried to kill himself afterwards, but, he had been too coward to end his miserable life, even though committing suicide would have been the right thing to do.

His soul was lost, anyway. He would never see the glory of Heaven above as it was promised to the ones who lived a good and honorable life, he would go straight to hell and burn into its fire for the eternity, no matter whether he lived through the rest of his damned and poor life or ended it himself. Almighty God would never forgive him what he had done and there was no hope left that he could ever find His forgiveness.

Because he had killed a young man, and it didn't matter that he had never intended to do so, at all. The young man had died because he had failed him, betrayed him, because he had been arrogant and careless and this was as bad as if he had used his own hands to do it.

He groaned, turning on his other side, his tortured body protesting as he changed his position on the thin and stinking strawmat lying in the corner of the gloomy chamber, but he welcomed the sharp pain, the only thing he really felt these days, reminding him of the fact that he was still alive – while the one he had liked was dead because he had failed him. Enduring the horrible pain was his way to atone for another man's cold and lonely death and he deserved it, even welcomed it.

It had all started as a silly game.

He had been bored to death by all the duties and ceremonies taking place on Castle Trifels to please and honor the emperor, too young to really enjoy those things all the other noblemen and ladies seemed to live for, and the young servant with the name Marco who had served his table had been quite a catch for the eye. He had enjoyed himself by giving him the eye, and Marco had blushed and cast his eyes down whenever he did, knowing quite well where his place was in the world of the proud imperial castle, but shortly after his first attempts to seduce the older boy, they had shared secret kisses and innocent caresses.

When he had asked Marco to come to the tower after his work, the young servant had agreed, happily and with rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes. The other day, he had been only a dead body, his face white like snow and his eyes closed, all sparks and rosiness gone forever.

Because he hadn't kept his promise. He had had too much wine, spurred one by the elder son of another earl, a friend of his father, and his sanity and the safety of his soul had vanished with every new goblet of the red liquid, his vision blurring as much as the memory of the promise he had made.

When he had woken up the next morning, sick to his stomach and hurting all over, it had been too late.

Marco had died alone on the top of the tower and even though he hadn't laid his hands around the young man's throat to strangle him or lifted his sword up to stab him to death, but, he was the one who had killed him, nonetheless; and nothing he could say or do would ever change that and give him back the peace and innocence he had lost in that cold dark night.

The other servants had buried Marco near the castle and he had watched the ceremony from the top of the tower just where Marco had died, wishing he were brave enough to just jump from it and made the memory of what he had done stop playing before his mind's eye like an endless silent torture with that. But, he hadn't been able to do it, and when he had realized that his life wouldn't end anytime soon, he had decided to leave everything behind instead.

He had packed his things and had left Castle Trifels without telling anyone where he wanted to go and without looking back. He was a murderer and he didn't belong to his old home any more. He had no right to call himself the son of his father any longer and he he had no right to consider himself a nobleman any more. He was less worthy than any servant or slave and he wouldn't live a life in wealth and comfort until death would come to him, as well.

The days after his departure were only a vague array of different happenings, a dark shadow adding to the other dark shadows covering his soul. Once, this place deep in his young heart had been bright and golden and colorful, but, the blackness of him being a murderer had erased all brightness and color, leaving only desperation and hopelessness.

This was also what had brought him here, to the castle Drachenfels and his owner, the robber baron Eberhart of Drachenfels. He didn't remember when or how he had come here, the only thing clear in his memory except for the young servant Marco's death was the ongoing pain accompanying him ever since his arrival, the physical pain of being raped and beaten more oftentimes than he could count, each and every day, but, he almost welcomed it, because sometimes, it replaced the mental pain he felt about what he had done, granting him some kind of oblivion and even peace for a few hours and this was all he cared about.

He didn't care about having become a servant himself, a servant not only serving tables, but also serving the crude needs of his owner and his owner's friends, all he cared about was that he was responsible for another being's death, and if him being a servant and slave for Eberhart of Drachenfels' dark desires was his punishment on earth for having killed a young man, he would endure his fate and take whatever he had to take.

“Hey, boy! Don't lie there and sleep! You have to work for me being that generous to provide you with food and a place where you can sleep without getting too wet!” An ugly voice laughed and then, he was pulled up on his knees, roughly and without any mercy and the naked groin of his owner was shoved into his face.

Mario, the former son of an important and rich earl opened his mouth and did what he had been ordered to do, his eyes dry and his face impassive while his heart cried silent and invisible tears.

 

\------------------------------------

 

Robert, Earl of Lindelborn lifted his goblet to his mouth to hide his disgust as Eberhart of Drachenfels shoved the poor boy to the ground again, closing the fastenings of his stained trousers with a sated grunt.

His three companions laughed, cracking dirty jokes about who would be the next of them enjoying the brunet's skills when it came to blowjobs and Robert suppressed a dry retch as he stared down at the young man, hardly grown up, who lay curled up into a small ball on the moldy straw, Eberhart's come smeared all over his pale cheek.

The boy's face was bruised and the skin around his left eye shimmered purple, but Robert could see the handsomeness underneath the bruises and the stains, and the dead expression in the most wonderful brown eyes he had ever seen made him ball his fists. He didn't know who this young man was, but, he could see that he didn't belong here and that something horrible must have happened to make him endure the things the owner of this castle did to him without even trying to defend himself.

Something had broken him and erased any spark of joy and fire in his beautiful eyes, taken away the hope and the will to live, and Robert craved to learn more about him and what had broken him so badly.

“Eberhart, you have a fine boy here, I want to try his skills next!” Baron Walther of Wegelnburg shouted, already rising on his feet and fumbling with the fastenings of his clothing. He was unsteady and swayed from one side to the other, and Robert doubted that he would really get it up, but, Eberhart and the other two 'noblemen' bawled and spurred him on.

The brunet boy flinched, turning his head weakly to the side and when their eyes met for the first time, Robert felt as if someone had stabbed him right into his heart. The boy wasn't even begging him to end his torture, he had accepted his cruel fate and Robert could see in the velvet-brown depths that in the boy's opinion, he deserved everything of what those rapers did to him.

Whatever he had done, no one deserved something terrible like this.

“I am the next to enjoy his skills!” Robert heard himself saying, much to his own astonishment. Walther growled, annoyed, but Eberhart of Drachenfels was clever enough to not deny the wish of the Earl of Lindelborn. The imperial castle Lindelborn was much more important than his own smaller one and Robert had his men outside the castle, having just come back from the Trifels this morning. The emperor had ordered him to check the loyalty of the other noblemen living nearby and Eberhart couldn't risk to annoy such an important guest, not with the emperor being on Castle Trifels himself at these days.

“You will be the next, Walther,” he promised his friend, shooting Robert an appraising look, but Robert – not the least drunk as Eberhart and his friends were – shook his head.

“No, I want him for the entire night and I want to enjoy his skills alone.” Robert pursed his lips to hide his self-loathe, but, he knew that this was the only way to save the young man from being raped again.

“Eberhart! You can't let him do this! You promised us that we can have him!” Walther complained, but Eberhart cut him short. “You can have him tomorrow night. If the honorable Earl of Lindelborn wants to enjoy my hospitality this way, then he will get what he wants. I expect you to put in a good word for me the next time you'll see the emperor, Robert!” Eberhart said, emphasizing the word 'honorable' in a rather sarcastic way, and Robert grinned wolfishly at him.

“I will consider that. It depends on how good your boy here actually is when it comes to serving me. Now, give me a room where I can taste him – undisturbed!”

Eberhart's jaw worked, but Robert's hand on the pommel of his dagger made him cooperate and jerk his head to the wooden door opposite the table. He pulled the boy to his feet and shoved him in Robert's direction.

“Serve him well or I will make you pay for it, slut!” he growled, and the brunet nodded his head and whispered: “Yes, Master, I will serve him well.”

His voice was raw and hoarse from the cock that had been forced down his throat, but Robert could hear that it once must have been a wonderful smooth and dark voice, made for happy laughter and lighthearted or philosophical conversation and not for serving the ugly desires of one this unworthy creature.

“Come with me, boy!” he snarled, taking his thin arm into a tight grip and following his unwilling host to the room where they would be undisturbed from prying glances.

 

\------------------------------------------

 

Mario stumbled his way along the gloomy corridor beside the earl with the melodious name Robert of Lindelborn. His appearance was as astonishing as his name was illustrious, but, Mario had learned the hard way that handsomeness and attractiveness didn't necessarily go along with kindness and friendliness. Eberhart of Drachenfels wasn't horrible to look at, but, his soul was even darker than his own one and the same went for his friends.

But, Mario knew that he deserved to be treated like a slave and a slut and at least, Robert of Lindelborn didn't stink as much as Eberhart and his other companions stank.

A door opened in front of him and he was pushed into the room with the harsh order: “Undress!”

Mario blinked, trying to orientate himself, which was rather difficult with his left eye swollen all over and bruised, but, he started to undress himself without objection. When he stood there, naked and shivering in the cool air, Robert's voice sounded again: “Onto the bed, on all fourth!” Mario obeyed, waiting for the earl to take him.

“You can go now, Eberhart. I don't want any visitors while I'm trying his services! And please, remember: My sleep is light and my reflexes are very fast. There were others trying to murder me in my sleep. They didn't survive their attempts to kill me!” Mario swallowed when he heard the young earl speaking in this cold and quiet voice, the calmness making his words sounding more dangerous than Eberhart's threats and shouts had ever sounded.

The door closed, making Mario shiver in the sudden gust of wind again, and he couldn't help the small whimper fleeing from his throat as the mattress shifted under another person's weight.

Now, Robert, Earl of Lindelborn would rape him like all the other men before him...

Cool fingers on his backside made him flinch violently and a heavy sob almost choked him. He was still so sore and hurting all over and the last time, he had seen to his bodily needs, there had been blood in the latrine. “Please, not, I can't...” Mario didn't recognize his own voice and he was shaking now, uncontrollably, his teeth clattering loudly against each other. He had always endured Eberhart's rapes without objection, but right now, he felt panic rising in his guts and the will to defend himself at any cost. Mario didn't know where his sudden uproar came from, but, he tried to get away from the fingers and curl himself up into a small ball again.

“Hush, boy, I'm not going to hurt you. I only want to see what they did to you and how bad your wounds are.”

The older man parted his cheeks, cursing under his breath when he saw the damage that had been done to him. “I'll kill this rat,” Robert of Lindelborn hissed and Mario flinched away again, but then, he was wrapped into a scratchy blanket and pulled onto the earl's lap. The elegant fingers stroked his filthy hair out of his face and glided gently over the bruises covering his face, tracing along each mark and as strange as it was, but the pain faded wherever the young earl touched him and Mario finally dared to open his eyes and look at him.

Robert, the Earl of Lindelborn had the most beautiful blue eyes Mario had ever seen.

The earl smiled at him, a soft smile, meant to soothe him and something in his smile and his gaze told the young man that Robert wouldn't hurt him, never.

“And now, tell me your name and why you think that you deserve to be treated this way,” Robert asked him, gently and to his own surprise, Mario felt the strong urge to tell him everything and ease the weight of guilt and despair pressing down on his shoulder by sharing them with another being.

Mario swallowed, drew in a shaky breath and then, opened his mouth and said:

“My name is Mario, I once was the son of an earl, and I deserve everything that was done to me because I killed someone. Someone who liked me and trusted me.”

 

 

_The ruins of the tower of Castle Lindelborn/Lindelbrunn. The castle sits enthroned on top of a mountain in the south of Castle Trifels and was an imperial castle, built to protect the Trifels._

  
__


	2. One Single Fateful Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert, the Earl of Lindelborn saved Mario, the son of another Eral from being raped by Eberhart of Drachenfels' friends. Now, Mario tells him what brought him to the castle and into Eberhart's captivity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very sorry, but this story is really not a happy one and it will definitely have more than three chapters. I hope that you won't mind, my dear superfragalistic. 
> 
> Those of you who also read 'The Treasure Of Castle Trifels' will recognize the one with the name Detlef. He is my ultimate bad guy, together with Eberhart/Eusebius. For all who don't read that part: Detlef is my own male OC, a very bead guy who shows up around 1230, 1430 and 2020 in part two and three of my Trifels-series. This chapter explains the happenings the ghost Marco tells fifteen years old Erik on top of Castle Trifels around 2007 and why Mario betrayed him and didn't come to him. When I wrote the first part, I didn't expect to make a series out of this and describe this horrible night, but, here it is. Marco couldn't leave the tower where he was waiting for Mario and died because of the cold. After reading this chapter, you might want to guess who locked the door so Marco couldn't leave.
> 
> I named Mario's father Jorg Gozo. Jürgen is a modern form of the name Georg, not used before 1848 and Jorg is another older form of Georg. The castle 'Lewenberc' is the castle Lemberg, a ruin in the Pfälzer Wald near Pirmasens where Erik comes from and there was actually a Gozo of Lewenberc who lived there around 1268. My characters are all fictive. So is my assumption that emperor Friedrich II stayed on Castle Trifels during the winter months. I preteneded that the winter came too early and he had to stay there one winter, even though he normally was in Italy, Sicilia most of his reign. 
> 
> Last but not least, I was surprised that no one asked for the 'first' Erik who must have lived around 1230, as well. Here, he will show up, well-known from part two as Erich, the son of a touring minstrel. Here, he is fourteen, too young to be a lover and save Marco, and I named him Erek, the son of the emperor's minstrel. I don't like loose ends and now, I put them all together, I think. :-)
> 
> Please, share your opinion with me, I never wrote anything dark and sad like this before and I'd really love to hear what you're thinking about this part of my Trifels-saga!

_Several months ago, on Castle Trifels:_

_The fire burning in the chimney couldn't chase away the cold creeping through the coats and the doublets, settling in in every bone of the shivering guests who sat at the wooden tables in the large knight's hall of Castle Trifels._

_Winter had come far too early this year, before the emperor Friedrich II. had been able to leave his imperial castle and seek shelter in the warm regions of his beloved Italy again. Now, he was trapped in the cold Pfälzer Wald just like his illustrious guests, waiting for the weather to clear up before the next snow-storm, and the only pleasurable thing to do seemed to eat and drink until it would do, each of the noblemen hoping that the red wine and the hot dishes served in huge steaming bowls would warm them from the inside at least a little bit._

_Mario, son of the Earl Jorg Gozo of Lewenberc, sighed furtively, pulling his coat closer around his chilly body while his eyes scanned the large hall bathed in the flickering light of several candles, torches and the large fire in the chimney, which created more a rather gloomy and almost eerie atmosphere in the otherwise dark room instead of lighting it up and making it a friendly place where one would have wanted to stay and rest. He had no clue why his father had left their own wonderful castle Lewenberc to pay the emperor homage just when the first snow had fallen at the end of October of all times, but here he was, trapped between the stinking bodies of all of the other noblemen and trying to make the best out of it._

_Which included secret encounters with one of the servants, a young man, maybe one or two years older than he himself, it was hard to tell because of Marco's innocent looks and cheerful nature. He might be a servant, but he was happy and content with his life and loved to laugh. Mario was seventeen, and flirting with the good-looking blond servant Marco was his only pastime while he waited for his father to tell him that they would leave the Trifels and go back to their own castle again. His older brother Fabian would stay as one of the emperor's young squires, actually a great honor, of course, but, Mario was glad that he was the younger one and didn't have to leave his beloved home to travel through the whole empire and spend most of his time in a country he didn't know and he didn't want to live in._

_His heart made a happy flip when he caught a glance at said servant placing a new bowl on the top of table where his father sat with the other earls. Marco seemed to sense his wistful gaze, because he looked up, sending a brief smile in his direction, more a twitch of one corner of his mouth than a real smile to not get caught by anyone else sitting here. Mario knew that it was a risky game he played, not so much because Marco was a servant, but because he was male. His father expected him to marry the appropriate daughter of another earl and see to the next heirs, but, his first experiences with one of the maids serving in castle Lewenberc had proved to the second son of Jorg Gozo, Earl of Lewenberc, that he wasn't really into women._  
_He could sleep with them if necessary, but, he preferred male bodies and the rougher male way when it came to physical pleasures instead of the courtly love noblewomen seemed to expect from their lovers. He had done some rather innocent research about this kind of pleasures and he had felt much more by this hasty and brief encounters than when he had slept with the admittedly very pretty maid._

_But, as risky as it might be, Mario simply couldn't help but smile back at the tall blond, hoping that no one would notice their wordless conversation, and the servant's blushing told him that Marco felt the same way._

_“Hey, Mario, where are you staring at so wistfully?” Detlef, the oldest son of the Earl of Tanstein sitting at his left side bawled, his big hand smacking his shoulder that hard that Mario had a hard time to stay upright instead of his face making a painful acquaintance with his plate. He coughed, managing a faked grin at the fat man next to him. Detlef was much older than he himself was and Mario really didn't like him, but, he couldn't tell him that without risking Detlef's revenge, and so he faked a good mood as he searched for a white lie to cover his true intentions with._

_The cover came in the minstrel sitting on a small pedestal just behind where Marco was standing, praising the glorious emperor Friedrich II.'s feats. “I'm only listening to the minstrel's songs,” he said, quickly, “they are so_ _touching and so true. Our emperor is truly a hero!” he kept rambling on, hoping that Detlef would buy it._

_The fat man obviously did, nodding his head with a loud belch. “You are so right, Mario! Here, your goblet is empty, how can that be? Hey, servant, hurry up here and fill my dear friend's goblet again!” he yelled at Marco, and Mario flinched when the heavy weight of Detlef's arm wrapping itself around his back like a snake pressed down on his shoulders._

_Marco hurried to obey, filling Mario's goblet for the at least fifth time, shooting the brunet a worried look from underneath his eyelashes. Mario scowled angrily at him, feeling annoyed by the impudent behavior. After all, he was almost grown-up, the son of an important earl, and he should know quite well how much he could drink without getting drunk, shouldn't he? “Yes, fill my goblet again, boy!” he roared, his voice already slightly slurred, but, he only needed to eat a little bit more and then, everything would be fine, Mario was sure about that._

_Marco murmured something unintelligible and stalked away, seeing to fill the goblets of the other bawling noblemen. Mario frowned when he saw Erek, the son of the minstrel following Marco, trying to get his attention. Erek was a handsome boy, he must admit that, fourteen, almost fifteen, with a pretty face, golden-brown hair and beautiful hazel-green eyes, but his admiration and adoration for Marco annoyed and bothered Mario to no end. Marco had taken the younger boy under his wing without realizing that Erek had a huge crush on him, being only friendly and kind, but, Mario had noticed Erek's barely hidden love for Marco and he hated it._

_Marco was his – at last he would become his tonight! They only had to endure the banquet for a while longer and then, they would meet on top of the tower, search for a warm and secret place and enjoy the pleasures Mario really longed to finally get to know better. His tries with one of the maids in his father's castle really hadn't been as pleasurable as he had hoped they would be and the thought of exploring Marco's slim male body made him hard and aching. He had jerked off to the fantasy of sleeping with Marco several times since he had come to Castle Trifels, silently and furtively in his small bed in the room he shared with Detlef and another earl's son, but, reality would be much better, Mario was sure about that._

_Only a few more hours, drinks and then, he would make the young servant his..._

 

\--------------------------------------------

 

_“Come here, my sweet Mario, I'll support you!” a husky voice said and rough hands pulled at him rather stubbornly. Mario stumbled forward, his vision fogged and blurred as he struggled to keep his balance in the swaying and spinning room. He felt dizzy and sick and he groaned, deeply ashamed as his stomach turned and he had to bend forward and vomit onto the straw covering the stony ground of their room,meant to protect the feet from the cold._

_His companion didn't seem to mind his sudden sickness, he simply wiped his face with his stained sleeve, laughing like a maniac. “You're such a child, Mario! You can't keep down seven goblets of wine! Just look at you!”_

_Mario groaned again, blinking because the gloomy shine of the torch the older man held in his hand hurt his bloodshot eyes. “Detlef, is that you?” he ground out, blinking again. He had to go somewhere, he knew it, he only didn't know where he had to go any more. He had promised something to someone, but, he couldn't remember what it was and the harder he tried, the more his head hurt from his attempts. There was someone sitting behind his temples, hammering against it from the inside and he felt as if his head was about to explode the next minute._

_“Marco, I need, tower, Detlef, please, tower, I need...” he mumbled, unaware of his own words, groping around for something to hold on to._

_“Marco, tower? Ah, I see. Let's go, I will take you to the tower, sweet Mario,” the ugly voice sneered, and he was pulled forward and upwards again. Mario climbed the stairs only with effort, wondering briefly why it wasn't as ice-cold on top of the tower as he would have expected it to be as he entered a dark room. “Detlef, where is Marco? I need to see Marco...”_

_He couldn't see anything with the torch suddenly gone and the room lying in total darkness. Mario was so tired, he just needed to sit down for one moment and then, he would feel better and see Marco, his sweet Marco...He curled up into a small ball on the straw-covered ground, closing his eyes with a relieved groan. The seconds stretched to minutes as he lay there drifting on and off, mumbling Marco's name again and again while he fought against the dizziness and sickness pooling in his abdomen._

_He didn't know how long he had lain there in the darkness, waiting for Marco to come to him when someone knelt down beside him and fat fingers stroked greedily over his body._

_“Let me help you with your clothes, sweet Mario,” the voice whispered hoarsely next to his ear and Mario frowned, because the voice didn't sound like the servant's warm and smooth voice._

_“Marco? Is that you?” he whimpered, another wave of dizziness and nausea hitting him._

_“Yes, it's me, my sweet Mario. You are safe here, let's get you more comfortable, okay?” the husky voice murmured and strong and calloused hands tugged at his clothes. Mario sighed, struggling against the hands, because it would be too cold on top of the tower to undress._

_“Marco? No, I don't want that, not like this,” he cried out, retching dryly as the fat and stinking hand brutally covered his mouth to silence him._

_“Don't worry, my sweet Mario, you will like it, I promise you!” the voice said, but the hand didn't let go of Mario's nose and his mouth, and Mario couldn't breathe any longer. A last desperate whimper escaped his bruised lips and then, everything went dark._

 

\---------------------------------------------

 

_The waking up was awful._

_The dim light of one single candle in the otherwise dark room hurt in his eyes, and he had a terrible taste in his mouth. Mario groaned and turned on his side, bending over the edge of his small bed to throw up the bitter liquid his clenching stomach pressed up into his hurting throat._

_He couldn't remember much of the last evening, especially not how he had managed to crawl into his bed. Or had someone brought him here and put him to bed? A loud groan made him flinch and it took him some time to realize that it had been his own groan of pain. His head wanted to explode and his throat hurt as if someone had scrubbed it with a hard broomstick. The thought of a broomstick in his throat made him vomit once more and tears of pain and despair trickled down his sticky cheeks. He didn't know why he felt so filthy and sticky and why his backside was burning like hell. Everything inside him was sore and hurting and new tears welled up in his eyes as he curled up into a small ball, his arms wrapped around his midsection to ease the cramps of his stomach._

_Mario sobbed silently, pleading for his nurse to come to him and rock him in his arms like she had done when he had been a little boy, always knowing how she could ease his pain and his sorrow._  
_“Katharina, please, I need you!” he sobbed, but no one was there and after a while, Mario, the son of the Earl of Lewenberc drifted back into a fitful slumber. The last thing he saw before his mind's eye was the figure of the handsome servant he had flirted with. He hovered over the tower of Castle Trifels, surrounded by a strange pale light and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but, Mario couldn't hear anything. The young man reached out for him, but something kept Mario from taking his hand and then, he was gone, swallowed by the pale, almost dangerous light._

_“Marco, where are you...” Mario heard himself sob and then, the darkness came back again._

 

\----------------------------------------

 

_Mario stood on top of the tower, watching the servants and maids making their way to the graveyard outside the walls of the castle in a slow procession, led by the Cistercian monk who murmured silent prayers for the soul of the young man who had found a sudden and far too early death on top of the tower, right where Mario stood now._

_Marco, the blond servant with the cheerful laughter and the beautiful amber-golden eyes was dead. He had died alone on top of this tower last night and Mario was the one who had killed him. Because he hadn't come to him like he had told him, too drunk to keep his promise and come to him._

_In the morning when Mario had woken up again, still hurting, dizzy and sick all over, but at least partly remembering the happenings of the night, he had realized what he had done and he had jumped from his bed to search for Marco, not caring about his headache and his nausea. Just when he had reached the stairs leading to the tower, two servants had made their way downstairs, carrying Marco's dead and stiff body in between them._

_Mario had stood there, frozen in place, staring in horror at the snow-white face with the now forever closed eyes, unable to react and too terrified to even cry or shout. Erek, the son of the minstrel followed the servants, his_ _face swollen and puffy from all his tears and the heavy sobs he cried cut deep in Mario's heart. The young boy shot him a mistrustful and hurt look, but said nothing, just followed the two men, crying as if his heart wanted to break._

_Mario had stepped to the side, watching the men and their horrible cargo disappear behind the next corner and when Erek turned around to him one last time, he knew that the young boy knew that it was his fault. Marco was dead and Mario was the one who had let him die._

_Mario swallowed and forced the vivid memory back into the farthest corner of his mind, staring down in the abyss, weighing his chances to survive such a downfall. He had nothing to lose. He had killed another being and he had loaded the sin of sodomy upon his shoulders when Detlef had had his way with him and raped him, taking not only his virginity, but also his innocence and the safety of his soul._

_Mario might not have given it willingly to him, but, he had drunk too much against better judgment and he was only one to blame for all of this._

_Mario took a deep breath, making a few steps in the direction of the crenel, but, a sound coming from behind made him stop and turn his head._

_Erek, the son of the emperor's minstrel stood beside the trapdoor leading downwards, watching him with wild eyes._

 

_**The reconstruction of the emperor's hall (hall of knights) of Castle Trifels with the chandelier:** _

  
_**** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Mario thinks about 'sodomy', he means anal-sex. This is what this word meant in the Middle Ages. Remember that he is seventeen and surely didn't think of anal-sex when he fantasized about 'sleeping' with Marco. There are a lot of other ways to pleasure each other in that age. :-)


	3. The Offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario tells Robert, the Earl of Lindelborn the last pieces of his story. How will Robert react? Will he think that Mario is responsible for Marco's death?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are two oaths in this chapter, but, they are not 'The Oath'. That will come at the end of the story. There might be some others, but I thought that 'The Oaths' as a title wouldn't be as good as the singular.  
> This chapter also explains why Erik couldn't see Marco before his fifteenth birthday and it also shows that things are oftentimes much more complicated and go deeper than they seem at first sight. The question about who is responsible for Marco's death isn't really to answer. His death is the result of a lot of unfortunate and bad happenings and wrong decisions, but, if anyone is to blame, then it will be Detlef. This might be the truth, but, knowing something and feeling something are two entirely different things and I tried to show Mario's inner struggles and his thoughts with this story as much as what others think about Marco's death and what might be the truth. Life isn't only black or white, it has more than fifty shades of grey and countless colors. All Mario can do (and all we can do being in similar situations) is to learn from the past and our mistakes and try to go with our lives and avoid making the same mistakes again.  
> Let's hope that Mario will accept Robert's offer at the end of the chapter and win back some peace of mind, at least for a while. 
> 
> As always, your feedback would be invaluable for me, especially for this very demanding story. A million thanks to all of you who will tell me their thoughts and leave comments and/or kudos.

_Mario gulped for air as Erek slowly approached him, his hazel-green eyes never leaving Mario's pale face. Mario was sure that the boy had sensed his intention to jump from the tower, probably seen it in his face, and that he didn't appreciate that._

_Which caught Mario by surprise. Somehow, he had thought that Erek wanted to see him dead._

_The younger one's next words told him that he had been wrong about that. “Do you really think that you deserve such an easy forgetting? Just jumping from this tower where_ he _died and forgetting that he died because of_ you _? Because_ you _betrayed him?” Erek hissed through gritted teeth, the venom audible in his voice making Mario step away from him in sudden fear._

_Erek let out a disgusted snort, as he made his way towards him._

_“Oh, don't worry, I don't plan to push you over the crenels. I want you to live and remember what you have done, Mario, son of the Earl of Lewenberc. I want you to think of what you have done all day and all night long on every day of your poor life!” Erek paused and swallowed, balling his fists, his chest heaving with his ragged breathing. He stared down at the graveyard where two older servants now lowered Marco's body now into the grave and new tears streamed down over his blotchy face. Mario knew that they had to hurry because of the cold. If the ground froze, it would be much harder to bury the dead bodies and this would lead to fear among the residents and to disease and sickness._

_“I am sorry, I am so sorry,” was all Mario could finally whisper, his own unshed tears choking him. He had no right to cry, no right to be sorry, he knew that, but, he was. He was sorry and he damned himself for his weakness and for having listened to Detlef's challenging words and drank far too much._

_Erek didn't look at him. He seemed to be lost in his own painful memories and his shoulders had slumped, the hate and the fury gone and left only despair and heartbreaking sorrow._

_“I told him that I loved him, last year. He smiled at me and ruffled my hair. He said that I was too young to know what love is. He told me that I was a child and that I couldn't know what true love is until I would be older. He liked me, but, he only saw the child in me. He told me that I should wait until I would be fifteen and if I still loved him then, he would kiss me. Next summer is my fifteenth birthday. Why did you have to do this? Trying to lure him into your arms? You didn't love him, Mario! You only needed a pastime! You knew that you would leave him again and forget him. But as things stand now, you will never ever forget what you have done. You killed him just as if you had used your own hands. And don't you dare ending your miserable life this way. You have no right to do this!”_

_The boy bent forward under his heavy sobs, his arms clenched around his midsection, and Mario didn't even think as he pulled him close, his own tears falling down on Erek's thin tunic. Erek struggled weakly to get away from him, but when Mario didn't let go, he buried his face into his shoulder and started to cry uncontrollably, his whole body shaking under the onslaught of his hearbreaking sorrow._

_“I am sorry, I am so sorry!” Mario whispered again and again, but, he knew that no sorry would ease Erek's pain and his sorrow. The boy was right. He hadn't really loved Marco. He had liked him and desired him, and he felt guilty and desperate about what he had done, but he hadn't felt the deep love for the young servant Erek had felt and still felt for Marco. No sorry would bring Marco back and Mario realized that he hadn't destroyed not only Marco's and his own life with his careless drinking, but Erek's life, too, and this might perhaps be the worst part of what he had done._

 

\--------------------------------------

 

Robert, Earl of Lindelborn listened quietly to the young boy's heartbreaking story, rocking him gently in his lap as he did so. The guilt Mario felt was so audible in his flat but raw voice, and the fact that he retold the happenings without crying made them sound even more painful.

Mario was truly convinced that Erek was right and that he had killed this young servant. He was convinced that he had loaded the guilt and the sin of murder upon his soul, and he believed deep in his heart that he deserved everything that had happened to him and even worse. Mario had accepted his fate and Detlef's and Eberhart's rapes and abuse as his punishment and he thought that he didn't deserve to grieve, feel sorry for what he had done and most of all for himself or that he had the right to fight against those cruel men who raped and abused him.

Robert's throat tightened with red fury and hate and his vision blurred for one moment as he thought of the ugly creature that was actually responsible for Marco's death.

Detlef had planned all of this, he had encouraged Mario to drink far more than he could digest so he could rape him when he was too drunk to defend himself. Plus, Robert was sure that Detlef had seen to Marco being unable to leave the tower before the morning broke, hoping that his rival would die in the cold of the early winter night. He was the one who had killed the young servant and destroyed three young lives; and the young Earl swore to himself while he rocked Mario and listened to his horrible story that he wouldn't rest until he had found this man and killed him with his own hands. It would be a slow and painful death and Detlef would suffer for everything he had done to Mario, Marco and the young boy Erek, Robert would see to that, personally.

Mario went silent and his shoulders slumped, his thin harmed and damaged body shivering in his arms, and Robert wrapped the scratchy blanket firmer around him, very careful to not let the young boy feel his anger. The exhausted brunet would surely consider it aimed at him and this couldn't have been further away from the truth. The only feelings the dark-haired earl felt for the poor young man curled up in his lap were understanding and care, an almost overwhelming tenderness and the strong wish to hold him in his strong arms and protect him from all the cruelty and heartbreak he had experienced during the last months.

He gently laid his hand under Mario's chin to lift it up and look into his eyes. “You didn't kill the young servant, Mario,” he said urgently as the big brown eyes found his blue gaze, their expression so lost and sad that Robert's heart clenched again.

“Yes, I did,” the young son of another earl whispered hoarsely. “If I hadn't drunk so much... Erek was right with everything he said...”

Robert shook his head and he didn't let go of Mario's chin, forcing him to hold his intense glance.

“No, Mario, he was not right. Plus, I am convinced that he didn't mean what he said. He was broken and desperate, but, it was Marco's decision to come to the tower and wait there for you. He must have noticed that you had drunken too much and he as a servant and older than you must have realized that you wouldn't be able to come to the tower after the banquet. He decided to take that risk and yet go there. If I had to guess, then I would say that Detlef saw to Marco not being able to leave the tower again, and that he maybe even made sure that Erek couldn't check the tower and save Marco. We will never know for sure what Detlef did in this night, but, one thing I know for certain. You didn't kill him. It was an accident. An horrible accident and a real tragedy, but it wasn't you who killed anyone. Erek will realize that one day, as well. He was hurt and in great pain and he simply lashed out to make you feel as bad as he felt. He was too young to see that you felt even worse than he did. It wasn't your fault and you didn't deserve anything of what happened to you, Mario, please, believe me in that. Did you tell him what Detlef did to you?”

Mario swallowed audibly. “No, I couldn't. He was so broken and so young... When he stopped crying and accusing me, we stood there and watched the priest doing his work, saying hasty prayers for Marco's soul and Erek told me that emperor Friedrich II. had taken the death of one of his servants as a bad sign and prepared to leave the castle. His minstrel would come with him and Erek as his minstrel's son would leave the Trifels with them. He told me that he would never come back, now that Marco was dead.  
I asked him what he would do and he said that he his future didn't really matter to him any longer, that he would never ever love again the way he had loved Marco. As young as he was, but, he was so sure about his undying love for Marco and I believed him. He said that he would become a minstrel himself, marry a young woman and raise their children like it would be expected of him. Before he left the tower, he swore an holy oath that one day – no matter - how long it would take, he would be reunited with his beloved Marco again, and if it would be in another life and at another time. He was so sincere and so serious and determined as he swore this oath, I almost believed him.”

Robert nodded his head. “He really loved him,” he said and Mario let out a small sigh. “Yes, he did. I thought that he had only had a crush on him. If I had known how much he loved him even though he was so young, only fourteen years old, I would have stayed away from Marco. I think that Marco liked him, too. He only thought that Erek was too young for this kind of love.”

“And you left the castle shortly after him?” Robert wanted to know, pulling Mario closer to him. He let go of his chin and Mario laid his head on his shoulder and snuggled close to the earl's strong frame, seeking shelter, warmth and comfort in his arms.

“Yes, I did. I had brought shame to my father and my family and I used the chaos the emperor's departure caused to steal myself away. I don't know how long I walked through the forests and the small villages until I came here. Detlef had taken my innocence and virginity and I offered myself to Eberhart of Drachenfels in order to have a place to sleep and something to eat now and then. I wasn't worthy to be the son of an earl any more and I didn't really care about what happened to me.”

“I hope that this will change in the future, because it does matter to me what happens to you, Mario, a lot.” Robert's hoarse confession hung in the cool air of the gloomy chamber and Mario lifted his head up again and stared disbelievingly at him.

“You do? Really Why should you – an important earl – care about me of all people? I heard that the emperor is back on the Trifels and you surely have better things to do than to care about someone who destroyed several lives by careless drinking and causing another man's death with that,” Mario said, suddenly sounding mistrustfully again, trying to pull away from the other man.

Robert couldn't blame the brunet for his mistrust, Mario hadn't experienced anything else than being raped and abused by the older men who had 'taken care' of him so far, and it was understandable that he suspected Robert to have the same intentions when he had told him that he cared about him and what happened to him. He knew that he had to find the right words to make Mario believe him and that he had only one chance to do so, because if he screwed it up right now, Mario would never trust him again, let only letting him come near him in the future.

Robert pulled a little bit away and looked him straight into his eyes, cautiously controlling his voice as he spoke up:

“I told you before that you are not responsible for Marco's death. You made a mistake and you drank too much like a lot of young men do all of the time, but you didn't kill anyone. Plus, you payed a horrible price for having drunk too much, a price no one should have to pay for such a mistake. You have my word that I won't rest until I'll have found the one who is actually responsible for his death and that he will pay for everything he has done, Mario. Plus, I promise you that I will take you with me when I leave Castle Drachenfels tomorrow in the morning and that I won't touch you otherwise than taking care of your wounds. You will be safe, because rape and abuse is nothing I could ever find pleasurable. I prefer my bed-partners coming willingly and freely into my bed and I want to hear their moans of pleasure and not their screams of pain. Pain does nothing for me, Mario. I will take you with me and see to you being safe during your recovery. When your wounds are healed, I will bring you back to your family and make sure that they will take you in their arms just like you deserve it. What do you think? Do we have a deal?”

 

\---------------------------------------------

 

Mario sat there, frozen in place, unable to believe his ears.

He couldn't really tell why he had trusted the young earl enough to spill out everything and tell him his story and what he had done. Maybe, it was because the burden pressing down on him had become too heavy to carry it alone any longer.

Maybe, he had thought that the weight of his guilt would become less if he shared his story with another being than only the young son of the emperor's minstrel who hated him with all his heart and who wanted to see him suffer for the rest of his life.

It did have become less, and Mario had felt something akin to relief and hope until Robert suddenly had told him that he cared about him.

Why the hell should a man like him, dressed in marvelous clothes, even more magnificent than what Mario had seen most of the other noblemen wearing, care about a damned and unimportant creature like him? Mario had made the very convincing and painful experience how such noblemen 'cared' about him and he felt utter disappointment by the Earl of Lindelborn's words. Somehow, he had thought that Robert would be different from all the Detlefs and Eberharts creeping all over this miserable world, caring only about their own ugly desires and use him and other poor souls to satisfy them.

But, he wasn't. Robert, the Earl of Lindelborn was as greedy and ugly as all the others and he obviously had only waited for his chance to lure him into his arms so he could do the same as Eberhart had done when he had asked him for a place to sleep and something to eat.

Mario had thought that Robert would let him sleep here beside him, offering him one night in peace and safety without being raped again and again, and then, leave the castle while he would have one rather pleasant memory he could cling to when Eberhart and his friends would use him again.

He tried to pull away from the young earl and Robert loosened his grip a little bit to look him in his eyes again, but not enough to let him get away.

Mario tensed up, staring mistrustfully into the blue depths and Robert's next words truly surprised him. He listened to them, searching in the handsome features for any sign that Robert wasn't as honest as he sounded while he talked to him, but he found nothing but sincerity and something akin to grim determination.

“Do we have a deal?” the dark-haired man asked him after his little speech and Mario licked his lips, unsure what to answer to that question. Could it really be that Robert meant what he had said?

Could Mario really trust him?

 

 

**_This is the tower called 'Little France' opposite Castle Berwarstein, about one kilometer away. It was connected with the Berwartstein through a tunnel that led from one mountain to the other and through the valley separating the two mountains. It was the only way to escape in case the Berwartstein would be attacked. The robber baron who lived there, called 'Hans Trapp', needed such a tunnel, because he had a lot of adversaries and enemies... ;-)_ **

  
**__ **


	4. A Question Of Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert told Mario that he wants to take care of him and offer him a better life. How will Mario react? Will he believe him that Robert has no bad intentions?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a sweeter chapter to pause and take a deep breath, because in the next one, they'll have to leave Castle Drachenfels against Eberhart's will.  
> My SD-card crashed and I haven't so much photos on my laptop, so I will have to see if I can fix the problem to add pictures to the chapters in hindsight.
> 
> Thank you so much for your feedback to this story so far, please, keep it up and share your opinion with me!

Mario just sat there for a while, staring at the young earl with a blank expression on his face before he suddenly asked: “May I dress again?”

A strange emotion flickered over the handsome features of his possible savior, something akin to anger, and it startled Mario for the split of a second before he realized that the anger wasn't aimed at him, but that the dark-haired man was angry with himself. Robert's eyes darted to the ugly smelling and stained tunic and trousers lying on the straw before the bed, the disgust clear to see in his face. Mario didn't want to wear these clothes again, either, but he'd rather wore them, no matter how dirty and ugly they might be, than staying naked while talking to Robert, the Earl of Lindelborn.

Robert seemed to sense the motivation behind his almost defiant request, that Mario felt vulnerable and naked not only in the real sense of the word, but also in the literal sense of it.

“Of course, Mario. I don't like the thought of you having to wear this again, but, I will see to you having clean and warm clothing as soon as possible, I promise you,” the earl said in his warm voice, loosening his embrace, and Mario gratefully glided from his lap and bent down to grab his tunic and his trousers while he tried to keep the blanket wrapped around his naked body. The earl had already seen him stripped of everything, not only his clothes but also his pride and composure, but Mario clung to the very last shreds of his dignity, desperately, knowing that he would break down if he didn't, completely.

The older man turned his head away, giving him the feeling of privacy by staring at the dark wall without saying anything and Mario was deeply grateful for his understanding. He hastily let go of the blanket and dressed, unable to suppress the groans of pain as he did so. He could see from the corner of his eye Robert flinching with every groan and every sound of pain, but, the earl didn't look at him until Mario had finally taken the blanket again, using it as a coat against the cold, and said: “I'm dressed.”

The earl slowly turned back to him, gifting him with a brief smile. “Better?” he asked and Mario blushed and cast his eyes down. “Yes, thank you, Sir. It's only that I...”

“You don't have to explain yourself, Mario,” Robert told him friendly. “I do understand you. I might not like the thought of you having to wear these ugly clothes he raped you in, but, as long as we are here, we have to go with the things we have available, and I really should have thought of you feeling more comfortable being dressed again earlier myself. I apologize to you for having been that dense. Plus, it's Robert for you, Mario, not Sir.”

Mario refused to look at him, fearing that he wouldn't be able to keep his composure when he saw the pity in the young earl's eyes. He didn't want his pity. He hadn't cared about what others thought of him ever since that horrible winter night, hadn't cared about what he thought of himself, either, but now, sitting here alone with him in this chamber, it was important to him what Robert, the Earl of Lindelborn thought of him, and this confused him, a lot.

“We are not equals. I am not worthy to be the son of a nobleman any longer,” he only mumbled, and the shadow of a movement made him flinch away from the earl. Of course, he would beat him now for his impudence of objecting, Eberhart had used smaller things as an excuse to beat the shit out of him.

Robert's hand under his trembling chin was firm, but gentle. “Mario, please, look at me,” he asked him, and his soft voice sounded almost pleadingly. “I know that you have no reason to trust me so far and that it will take a long time until you'll do. Trust has to be earned, it doesn't come just like that, and I will do my very best to earn your trust and wait patiently until you're willing to believe me that I have no intention to harm you.” He didn't force Mario's head up, he simply waited with his warm fingers upon Mario's cold skin, and when the brunet eventually raised his gaze to meet the earl's eyes, he didn't find any pity in the blue depths, only warmth, kindness and understanding.

Mario tried a smile and the joy lightening up Robert's face took his breath away. “We are equals, Mario. Not because I am an earl or because you are the son of a nobleman. We are equals because we both care about what happens to others and because we have a conscience and know what's right and what's wrong. We are equals because we are both fighters and survivors, you as much as I am, even though you might not believe me right now. You will, some day, I'm truly convinced of that. So, would you please do me the favor and call me Robert, Mario? At least when we're alone?”

Mario swallowed, impressed by Robert's honest words. No pathetic speech about their similar inheritance could have convinced him more than Robert's simple explanation had convinced him. The young earl apparently meant what he had said and for the first time in months, he allowed the tiny spark of hope to become brighter and burn to a small fire. Maybe, Robert was really his savior, and Mario was willing to give him a try. His smile became brighter and he cleared his throat and said:

“Yes, Robert, I will. Plus, I want to make this deal with you.”

 

\-----------------------------------------

 

The huge wave of relief washing over him caught Robert totally by surprise. He hadn't realized that he had held his breath while he waited for the young boy's answer. Robert couldn't have said what it was that drew him in to the son of the Earl of Lindelborn. He couldn't even tell whether the brunet would have caught his attention if they had met on Castle Trifels with Mario behaving like the spoiled and arrogant young nobleman he surely had been before this fateful night, but something about Mario made him guess that he most likely would have.

If they had met on Castle Trifels before this night, things had turned out to be different, Robert was sure about that. Mario wouldn't have been in the need to distract himself from the boredom by flirting with a young servant, and Detlef wouldn't have been able to manipulate him, make him drunk and rape him afterwards while killing the young servant in this horrible and perfidious way.

There was this strange connection between them, an invisible bond and Robert was certain that this bond had nothing to do with their current situation. It had only something to do with Mario and him and somehow, some strange fate had seen to them meeting here on Castle Drachenfels. Robert was meant to save Mario from the cruelty of Eberhart of Drachenfels and to protect him from all the Eberharts and Detlefs in the world, and he would do that, gladly and unquestioningly.

Robert hesitantly let go of Mario's chin, craving to touch him and pull him into his lap again, but he knew that Mario most likely would take that as a sign that Robert's intentions were the same as the ones the bad robber baron had. No, he had said that he considered them as equals and he would prove himself to the younger one and show him that he wasn't going to rape him or even touch him without permission or against his will, no matter how strong his wish to protect him might be.

“I will take you with me tomorrow, Mario,” he said, looking him straight in his eyes. They were bloodshot and Robert could see how tired and exhausted the poor boy must feel, but, his wonderful brown eyes weren't as dead as they had been anymore and Robert could see the tiny spark of hope burning in them, fired on by his promise.

“I'll have to treat you as my toy-boy, meaning that you'll have to call me 'Master' and act as if I had raped you all night long, Mario. I am sorry for that, but, he won't let you go if he thinks that I didn't. I don't want to do that, but we have to deceive him.” Robert wasn't sure how Mario would react to this and he struggled to not show Mario his worries too obviously.

Mario surprised him, though, nodding his head and not looking surprised, at all. “Of course, Robert. I didn't think that he would let me go with you if he suspected that you'll treat me well, either. You don't have to worry that I will take your behavior in front of him the wrong way. I will behave like the obedient servant I was during the last months and not endanger both of us by telling him the truth.” He returned Robert's gaze with grim determination and the young earl caught a glimpse of the young man Mario once must have been, strong and self-confident, honest and brave.

“If you'll have to beat me in front of him, then do it, Robert. Anything that will be necessary to get me out of here will be okay with me,” he continued, and the dark-haired nobleman could see that Mario was deadly serious about that. The mere thought of having to beat Mario turned his stomach, but Robert knew that it actually could come to that point.

“That won't be necessary. We will find another way – with words. I know that words can hurt and harm more than fists, Mario, don't get me wrong. I will hate myself for whatever I have to throw at you – verbally. But, I won't beat you. There has to be another way than to cause you more damage than he already did. My hands will never touch you in any other way than with gentleness and the intention to heal your wounds,” he said, his voice a little bit hoarse and he hoped that he could keep his promise, because he desired Mario and longed to touch him like a lover would do and pleasure him until Mario shivered with ecstasy instead of pain and fear.

Not that he would do such a thing. Mario had been raped and abused, beaten and harmed, and he certainly wouldn't want any male to ever touch him again, at least not in this way. No, Robert would suppress his desire for the sweet young man and be the fatherly or brotherly friend he needed him to be.

Mario's smile lit up the gloomy chamber. “I believe you, Robert,” he said with sincerity in his voice, and this made Robert's heart beat faster with joy and happiness.

“Thank you, Mario. But now, you should try to sleep, Mario. You look exhausted and you have to gather some strength for tomorrow. Please, use the bed, you don't have to fear that I will try to rape you in your sleep,” he told him, glad that his voice didn't give his desire away.

Mario licked his lips, looking uncertainly down at the bed where he sat upon. “I don't think that you would do that. But, what about you, Robert? Where will you sleep?”

Robert shook his head. “I won't sleep tonight. I locked the door, but, I expect Eberhart to try something and I want to be prepared. If it was only for me myself, things would be different, but, I need to stay awake and react fast enough so he can't use you to defeat me.” he explained and when he saw Mario's doubtful gaze, he smiled.

“Don't worry, I am used to staying awake for one night. I will rest when we'll be back on my Castle.”

Mario hesitated, apparently chewing on something. He took a deep breath and then he burst out, much to Robert's surprise:

“Would you mind holding me while I sleep, Robert? It is so cold and it has been so long since anyone touched me in another way than to, to...” his voice broke and his sentence ended in a whimpering sob.

Robert stared at the younger one, totally taken aback and not sure whether he had heard right. Mario's face fell when Robert didn't answer and he moved a few inches away from him. “I am sorry, I didn't mean to be impudent. I know that I stink and that I am ugly and dirty and...”

The finger laid upon his lips silenced him and the boy looked up at Robert's face, shyly, but with so much longing in his wonderful brown eyes that Robert felt a huge lump in his throat. It wasn't sexual longing, but the longing to be held and to feel the gentle touch and the warmth of another human being, a kind being that cared about him instead of the cruel rapist he had had to serve for far too long.

“I'd be honored to hold you, Sunny,” Robert answered him, deeply touched by the boy's trust. “Are you sure that you really want that?”

Mario bit his trembling lip. “Yes, please. It has been so long...”

“Then, I will hold you and warm you while you're sleeping, gladly, Sunny. And you are not ugly and you also don't stink, please believe me. It's not your fault that you couldn't clean yourself up, properly, and I could never be disgusted by you.” Robert lay down on the small bed, pulling the brunet gently with him, and Mario snuggled close to his side, laying his head upon Robert's chest.

“Why do you call me Sunny?” he asked sleepily as Robert wrapped the blanket around his thin body to protect him from the cold. Robert's fingers started to tenderly card through his hair, its softness and fragrance sensible even through the filth; and Robert dwelt in the wonderful sensation that made his fingers tingle and itch for more. His other arm came up to pull Mario closer, careful not to cause him pain, because Robert had seen the dark bruises covering his entire body despite the darkness in the room when he had examined his wounds and he didn't want Mario to feel any pain because of him.

“Because your smile lights up even the darkest room, just like the golden summer sun, Mario. You are my sun and therefore, I will call you Sunny when we're alone,” he replied tenderly, smiling as the weight of Mario's head upon his chest became heavier. Mario was about to fall asleep and Robert would see to the young boy getting at least a couple of undisturbed rest and peace of mind, staying awake and enjoying how perfect it felt to hold Mario in his arms and guard his sleep.

And so it came that the young Earl of Lindelborn and the son of the Earl of Lewenberc shared a bed during the night, but not for the things the robber baron Eberhart of Drachenfels thought they would share it, but because Mario had started to trust Robert and this was all that counted for him.

 

_Castle Drachenfels from the distance, the tower is carved into the natural red sandstone:_

  



	5. The Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning comes and Robert and Mario are getting ready to leave Castle Drachenfels. Will Eberhart step into their way and what is Robert willing to do to protect Mario?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to warn you, this chapter contains violent scenes and minor character death again. I did my very best to write it as decent and appropriate as such scenes can be written, but, if you're not comfortable with it, don't read this chapter.
> 
> I want to say thank you again for giving this story a try and for your amazing feedback, this part is surely the hardest part of my Trifels-saga. Please, share your opinion with me and tell me what you think about this story and especially this chapter!

The small chamber had no window, but Robert, Earl of Lindelborn didn't need a window to sense when it dawned in the early morning. His well-functioning biological clock told him when it was time to get up and ready for their departure.

Mario had slept curled up at his side the entire night, whimpering and flinching now and then, whispering unintelligible words, and the young nobleman knew that it would take a rather long time until the young boy would sleep undisturbed and soundly again. He was still haunted in his dreams, but at least, he had been able to rest for a few hours and this was most likely more than he had had during the last months, always fearing that Eberhart would rudely wake him up and rape him for the umpteenth time.

Robert carefully turned on his side, considering the brunet's face. His left side still looked bad, but, after one night without having been beaten once more, the swell wasn't as thick as it had been and Robert was able to see the handsomeness and the innocence underneath the bruises and cuts. Mario was a beautiful young man and he deserved to be treated as the treasure he actually was.

The young earl sighed, readying himself for Mario's scared reaction when he touched him as he reached out, stroking with his fingers through his filthy hair. Robert would have liked to stroke his cheek, but he sensed that this would scare the boy more than the touch on his hair. He repeated his movements with patience until Mario moved, his eyelids fluttering as he slowly came back to his senses.

The gentle touch must have confused him, because he murmured questioningly “Katharina?” and his gaze was unfocused before it became sharp – and disappointed. Robert wasn't prepared for the sting of jealousy shooting through him. Who was Katharina?

For a few seconds, they simply lay there, staring at each other and then, Mario sighed. “I'm sorry, Robert, your touch... my nurse always woke me up this way...” his voice trailed off and his breath hitched in his throat.

Robert felt sick with self-loathing. Mario's nurse. He had been selfish enough to be jealous of Mario's nurse, the one person who had raised him like a mother should do, giving him all the love his parents most likely hadn't shown him. Mario had been beaten and raped, abused and hurt in the cruelest way, and he had been jealous of the only being who certainly had loved the boy unquestioningly, judging by the wistful expression in the wonderful brown eyes.

Some of his self-disgust must have shown in his face, because Mario tried to move away from him. “Did I do something wrong?” he asked warily and his body tensed because he obviously expected to be beaten again.

Robert swallowed, reaching out with his hand again, his palm turned upside to show the young man that he didn't want to harm him. Mario didn't move closer, but he relaxed and Robert tenderly ruffled his hair one last time.

“No, Sunny, you did nothing wrong. I am sorry that I startled you and I am sorry that I am not your nurse. I am so sorry that you are not at home where you should be, safe and sound. We need to get up and out of here and I thought this way would be the best to wake you up. I didn't mean to arouse painful memories.”

Mario smiled sadly. “The memories of Katharina are not painful, Robert. Plus, it was nice to wake up like this again after that long time.” He paused for one moment. “I meant what I said, Robert. Everything that will get me out of here will be fine with me. If you'll have to beat me, then please do it. I won't hold it against you, I promise you.”

Robert gulped for air. He could see in Mario's face that the younger one was serious, but, he had been serious, as well. He wouldn't beat him. There had to be another way.

“I believe you, but, I won't beat you. I might have to pull you with me rather roughly, but, I won't beat you, Mario, never. The thought of having to humiliate you with words is sickening enough to me.”

Mario shrugged his shoulders. “I don't value myself. Your words won't humiliate me, because to feel that way, I needed to have some self esteem, which I haven't, Robert. Besides, I know that you won't mean what you'll have to say, so this won't be anything I couldn't bear.”

Robert's heart ached by this almost casually uttered words. But, he was grateful that Mario thought that practically at the moment. Robert would see to Mario learning to respect and love himself again and if it would be the last thing he did, when they were back in his own castle. Right now, he had to get them out of Castle Drachenfels and he had to be wary and focused to do that.

Robert pulled himself together and sat up. “Alright, let's get us out of here. Are you ready for that, Sunny?”

 

\-----------------------------------------

 

Mario followed Robert out of the room, dragged along the gloomy corridor by the collar of his dirty tunic. He could see from the corner of his eyes the stern expression on the handsome features of the young earl and he knew Robert well enough by now to take it as a sign of Robert's self-disgust that he had to do this and treat him this way.

Mario was still astonished that the impressive nobleman cared so much about him. Mario himself had stopped caring about his own well-being and he had much less problems being treated this way than the Earl of Lindelborn seemed to have with that. Mario didn't mind to be pulled on his collar and be humiliated with words, not only because it meant that he would get away from Eberhart of Drachenfels, but simply because he didn't think himself worthy to be treated kindly and friendly.

Robert pushed the door at the end of the corridor open and Mario was thrown out of his thoughts. On his father's castle, they would have met at least three or four servants or maids by now, and two of the guards, but he had lived long enough in this robber's cave to know that Eberhart's men most likely still slept their drunkenness off. And the baron had only little servants and even less maids, so getting out of the castle might be easier than he had first feared.

But, he had been too optimistic as it turned out, because their luck ran out behind the next door which led to the knight's hall. It actually wasn't a true hall, but more an bigger but still rather small and dark room and far away from being as pompous as the knight's hall on Castle Trifels.

Eberhart looked horrible, his eyes bloodshot and bleary, but, he was awake and up on his feet and he held his sword in his hand. His two friends still slept in their chairs, but Mario could see, instantly that Eberhart wasn't as drunk as Mario and Robert had hoped he would be.

Plus, to make things even worse, there were two guards standing before the door leading outside the palas and they held swords in their hands, as well.

Mario swallowed hard, ready to resign himself to his fate and stay in Eberhart of Drachefels' captivity. Robert stopped, pulling Mario closer to his back.

“Ah, Eberhart, you're awake already,” he drawled and the older baron bared his teeth to a sneer.

“So as you are, Robert of Lindelborn. Why do you want to leave that early? It is still rather dark outside. I hoped that you would enjoy my hospitality for a while longer...But, it's nice that you brought my servant back. He is supposed to work in the kitchen to make my breakfast!” the robber baron purred and Mario instinctively stepped closer to Robert, a move Eberhart noticed, immediately. Eberhart might be a lush, but his eyes were still sharp and his mind drew the right conclusions out of Mario's instinctive reaction.

“He must have served you well, Robert of Lindelborn, he obviously enjoyed your skills as a lover.”

The statement hung in the air and Mario could feel Robert's body tense up. “Yes, Eberhart, he did serve me well. You taught him well. To be honest, this slut served me better than any other slut before him. Therefore, I will take him with me, because I want to enjoy his skills again and this without sharing him with others.”

Mario could hardly believe his ears, Robert's voice was as mocking and scornful as Eberhart's had been and he actually felt hurt, even though he had thought that it wouldn't matter to him how Robert treated him. Robert had told him that he would have to behave this way, but now, hearing him spitting out these words, Mario suddenly wasn't so sure any longer whether Robert really liked him or if he secretly loathed him because of what Detlef and Eberhart had done to him.

“But, I won't let him go. This slut is my property and I want to enjoy his skills myself. You can have him the next time you'll visit me,” Eberhart objected, angrily, and Mario could see that he griped his sword tighter.

“No. He's mine now, Eberhart.” Mario hadn't noticed it, but Robert held his sword in his hand all of a sudden, as well. It had hung at his side and Mario had been too focused on the earl's conversation with the ugly baron to see Robert pulling it out of its sheath.

“Why would you care about a meaningless slut? He's only a whore.” Eberhart growled, creeping up on them, raising his sword and readying himself for the fight with the younger nobleman.

“Why would you care about me taking him with me, then, if he's only a meaningless whore for you? He served me well and I want him for myself. You don't want to annoy one of the emperor's knights, do you?” Robert sounded so self-confident, so arrogant and mocking, and he pulled so hard at his collar that Mario's neck started to hurt and that he had to take flat breaths to not choke. The young man hardly recognized the earl anymore and he felt panic rising in his gut.

Mario swallowed, trying to move away from the dark-haired man. Now, he was not the kind and understanding friend, but only the hard and merciless warrior, the emperor's knight, and he was willing to do what's necessary to reach his goal without hesitation.

Mario had had lessons when he had grown up, together with his brother, but, he had never been as good as the older one and now he realized that he knew only little about fighting and being a true warrior. Robert's eyes were focused only on Eberhart, and they were cold and grim instead of warm and kind.

No, this wasn't the Robert he had come to trust a little bit, and Mario had to admit that he was suddenly truly scared of him.

What would the Earl of Lindelborn do next? Would he really fight against Eberhart of Drachenfels?

 

\-------------------------------------------------

 

Robert could feel the tension in Mario's body pressed close to his own, but, he didn't avert his eyes from the robber baron. He sensed that the young man was scared more of him than of Eberhart at the moment, and he had suspected that this would happen, no matter what Mario had said beforehand. Mario was too young and still too innocent and he hadn't realized what Robert had known ever since he had made up his mind: that they wouldn't be able to leave Castle Drachefels without a fight against its owner.

But, he couldn't let himself be distracted by his care about the poor boy, because Eberhart of Drachenfels would use each and every tiny inattention to his advantage. The older man wanted to kill him, Robert could see that in the cold dark eyes. Eberhart of Drachenfels didn't care about him being the emperor's knight or Robert's men waiting outside the castle outnumbering his own men. The only thing he cared about was that Robert wanted to take away from him what he considered his own property and that he didn't want him to do that.

Robert banned all thoughts of Mario from his mind, the pity and the tenderness he felt for him. He would have to make up for his behavior later, trying hard to win back the little trust Mario had had in him, but right now, he had a job to do and get both of them out of the castle, healthy and in one piece.

Robert shoved Mario into the small alcove next to him and snarled: “Stay there, slut! Don't you dare moving!” Mario flinched violently, but obeyed, pressing himself against the rough stony wall.

Robert stepped forward, his eyes still focused on the older baron. To his luck, the guards hadn't moved away from the door so far, either too frightened to fight against him, or which was more likely, because Eberhart wanted to prove that he was the better fighter. Robert didn't make the mistake to underestimate Eberhart, but, he could see the slight trembling of the hand holding the sword, a clear sign that the other knight was still more drunk than he seemed to be at first sight.

Eberhart made a sudden step forward, letting out some kind of warrior cry and lifting his sword in the attempt to let it hail down on Robert's head. Robert moved to the side and ducked away, his own sword hitting the thick leather doublet Eberhart wore, cutting right through it. Blood trickled out of the small cut and down onto the ground, coloring the moldy straw deep red.

Eberhart howled with both, pain and rage, and he stumbled forward, his face only an ugly grimace. His two friends stirred by the loud sounds of metal clattering against metal, Eberhart's shouts and groans, and the guards moved away from the door, but their lord obviously didn't want to show any weakness and snarled: “Stay away! I will finish him alone!”

Robert had stepped back, not because he was scared of Eberhart's fighting skills, but because he wanted him to move in the other direction, away from the alcove. His trap payed off, the robber baron took it as a sign of Robert's fear and followed him, blind to anything else in his fury. His two friends stared with confused eyes at the scene in front of them and one of them, Walther, suddenly leaned forward, emptying the content of his stomach onto the dirty straw with a nasty sound. The sharp smell of vomit distracted Eberhart for one moment and Robert jumped forward, his sword hitting his side again, just where he had left the first wound. More blood poured out of the now deep cut and Eberhart made a gurgling sound, apparently unable to believe that the younger one had hit him again.

The older man roared in pain and anger, gripping his sword with both hands and lifting it up over his head to kill Robert. The Earl of Lindelborn wasn't a killer, but he knew that they wouldn't get out of Castle Drachenfels as long as Eberhart lived, his men obeying their lord's orders unquestioningly as long as he lived and breathed, and Robert couldn't fight against all of them while protecting Mario. The walls were too thick for his men to notice what was going on inside and so he made his decision. Eberhart of Drachenfels must die and Robert would be the one killing him, here and now.

The Earl of Lindelborn ducked his head away again, turning on his heels and the momentum of Eberhart's attempted blow made the robber baron lose his balance. The older man stumbled again, catching his fall only in the very last moment and turning around with another howl.

Robert had only waited for his adversary to face him again, because he wasn't the man to kill someone from behind if not necessary as it sometimes was during a battle, and when Eberhart stood in front of him again, he pushed his own sword forward and thrust it deep into the baron's chest.

Eberhart stared at him with a bewildered expression before he toppled to the side, falling down onto the with his blood covered ground, his broken eyes gaping blindly at the ceiling.

Eberhart, Baron of Drachenfels was dead.

 

_The entrance to Castle Drachenfels:_

  



	6. The Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert fought with Eberhart of Drachenfels and killed him. Will Mario and Robert be able to escape now and will Mario ever trust the young earl again after witnessing him killing another man?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to show Mario's inner struggles and his inner strife between wanting to trust Robert and fearing him because of his fight with Eberhart. Please, let me know if I succeeded. Thank you so much for your ongoing support of this story and for assuring me that I was able to write it in a decent and appropriate and not a disgusting way so far.

Mario stood in his alcove, staring horrified at the dead and still bleeding body of Eberhart of Drachenfels lying on the moldy straw. His stomach clenched and he heaved dryly, desperately trying to suppress the urge to vomit like Walther had done only a couple of minutes ago – which seemed as if it had been a lifetime ago.

Everyone in this room was as frozen in place as he himself felt, except for Robert, Earl of Lindelborn. The dark-haired nobleman didn't look affected by his fight and the fact that he just had killed another man only the slightest, he didn't even breathe heavier, and Mario flinched away as he stepped to him, pulling at the collar of his filthy tunic again.

The guards by the door hadn't moved, simply staring disbelievingly at their former lord, and Walther and his accomplice obviously still didn't know what was actually going on, hanging in their seats and staring at the dead body of their friend.

“Anyone else wanting to die today?” Robert asked, his voice impassive and controlled, and Mario felt like fainting any second. Walther and his friend averted his eyes, while the guards lowered down their weapons, stepping to the side. Robert's grip gave him trouble with his breathing again, but, he was almost grateful that he could only take flat breaths, the metallic smell of Eberhart's blood making his stomach churn again.

“Very well. We will leave this place then. Just remember: my men are waiting outside. You'd better not follow me and my new slut if you want to see the sun rising again tomorrow.” Robert turned around and started off towards the door where the guards stood. Mario had no other choice than to stumble after him with his eyes fixed on Robert's dark-blue goblet to not having to look at Eberhart of Drachenfels again. Robert didn't even try to be considerate of him, he just walked towards the door with firm and fast steps, and all Mario could do was trying to keep up with him and block out everything he saw and smelled.

Mario didn't remember much of their walk through the gloomy corridors, and he couldn't have told how long their march had taken them afterwards, for him, the seconds stretched to minutes and the minutes to hours until he thought that they would never get out of the hostile masonry, stuck forever in its dark and dangerous hall ways. None of the few servants, maids and guards they met on their way tried to stop them, none of them even dared to raise their heads and look at them as they crossed their path, just hurrying to get past them with their eyes lowered down to the ground.

But, then, just when Mario had given up the hope to ever leave the stony walls of Castle Drachenfels, they stepped outside the wooden gate and onto the from trees and bushes cleared place before it where Robert's men had been waiting for their lord to come back to them. The campfire was still glowing and the sharp smell of burning wood covered the taste of blood on his tongue.

Robert let go of his collar and Mario bent forward, unable to hold back any longer, retching bitter bile onto the red soil just where he stood. His legs didn't support his weight anymore and he dropped down on his knees, retching one more time. His stomach clenched painfully and he groaned, his eyes watering with the effort as his insides tried to get out, dry heaves shaking his thin body even when he had nothing more to sacrifice. A strong arm around his shoulder kept him from falling down and right into the puddle of his own vomit and a warm hand upon his cold and sweaty forehead offered the comfort he needed so badly.

“I am sorry, Sunny, I am so very sorry,” Robert murmured beside him, holding him until the dry heaves finally stopped and when Mario eventually dared to turn his head and look at him, he didn't find any disgust or anger in the blue eyes, only concern and regret. “We need some water!” Robert ordered without raising his voice, his eyes never leaving Mario's face.

One of his men brought a canteen with cool and fresh water, and Robert held it onto Mario's dry lips. “Be careful, Sunny, only small gulps at first. We need to make sure that the water will stay where it belongs, alright?”

Mario nodded and closed his eyes, forcing himself to take only tiny swallows although his hurting throat demanded much more of the cool liquid that eased the burn and smoothed the bitter taste in his mouth. Robert pulled the flask away far too early for his liking and a small whimpering sound escaped his bitten lips. “Hush, I know that you need more, just wait a moment to make sure that you won't have to vomit again, Sunny,” Robert soothed him, and Mario wondered briefly how it could be that the Earl of Lindelborn could slip into the role of the kind and caring friend that easily after having been a merciless and lethal warrior only a couple of minutes ago.

“Nuri!” the dark-haired nobleman now ordered and a young man came into sight, bowing before his lord. He wore the clothes of a young knight with a thick, short coat covering his shoulders, the material shimmering like velvet and the color was a wonderful fir green. The cap Nuri wore was made of the same garment and color and the expression on his face showed the admiration and the devotion of an underling who was treated well by his superior and lord.

His father's underlings had always been loyal and honest, but they had never shown this kind of devotion, his father being too strict and impersonal to arouse such feelings in his underlings.

“Mylord?” the young knight asked and Robert smiled at him. “Nuri, I need you to choose two men coming with you, warriors who know how to fight in case you'd get attacked. You have to ride back to Castle Trifels and deliver a message to the emperor from me. It is only meant for the emperor's ears and for no one else, understood?”

The young knight nodded his head. “Understood, Mylord Robert. The pass-word is still the same?”

Robert still kneeling beside Mario shook his head. He made a gesture with his hand and Nuri bent down to the young earl, listening with a frown of concentration to what Robert whispered into his ear. Then he straightened his shoulders again, bowing before his lord again.

“I shall hurry and bring the emperor your message, Mylord.” He turned around on his heels, waving at two broadly built older soldiers who looked as if they had a lot of experience when it came to fights and attacks and they followed the young knight to the place where they had staked their horses during the night. Nuri went straight to a beautiful fox-colored mare while the two soldiers took the reins of two darker geldings.

Mario watched them disappear in a cloud of dust and when they were out of sight, Robert stood up, pulling him gently to his feet.

“This is Mario, the son of the Earl of Lewenberc. He was held as a captive by Eberhart of Drachenfels for months. He will come with me and be my honored guest for the next weeks. I expect you to protect him with your own lives as much as you would protect me, understood?” the Earl of Lindelborn informed his men in a calm but strict voice that left no doubts that he meant what he had said, and all of his men who had watched the 'spectacle' displaying in front of them in silence nodded their heads in perfect unison.

“Understood, Mylord Robert. We will protect Mario of Lewenberc as if he were you.”

 

\--------------------------------------------

 

Robert could feel Mario flinch beside him when his men uttered their loyalty, the young boy obviously couldn't believe what he just had heard, but Robert himself hadn't expected anything else. He had always chosen his men very carefully and he treated them well, caring about each of them, and they thanked him for that with their unquestioning loyalty and devotion, being determined to go to the hell and back for their lord. A lot of them had made really bad experiences before they had come to him, and there was not one who didn't feel honored and blessed to be a part of the Earl of Lindelborn's household, determined to serve him with their lives if needed.

The trembling next to him became worse, and Robert realized that Mario was close to a breakdown. He actually had wanted him to ride on his own horse, but now, he saw that this wouldn't be possible. Robert suppressed a sigh. He knew how scared Mario was of him after having been forced to watch him fight and slaughter his former owner. Robert wanted nothing more than giving him the time he needed to get over it, but, this wasn't possible. They needed to get away from this place and reach Castle Lindelborn before the night dawned and this would take them almost the entire day because they couldn't gallop the whole way there.

Mario needed a bath and clean and warm clothes and most of all, he needed the feeling of being safe and proper food. He was far too thin and weak to stand here in the cold of the early morning in the dirty and shabby shreds of what resembled hardly real clothes, and so he waved at Thomas, his loyal right hand man whenever he left his castle. Thomas didn't need him to say out loud what he wanted, he took off his own coat, handing it to Robert so he could wrap it around Mario's shaking body and yelled at one of his men to bring Robert's black stallion.

Mario wasn't in the state to help him with the coat, his teeth clattered loudly against each other and he would have fallen down to the ground if it hadn't been for Robert's arm holding him upright.

Black Arrow snorted tenderly, happy to have his beloved owner back, and he stood completely still as the Earl of Lindelborn lifted Mario up on his back as if the boy weighted nothing, sensing that the unknown human was someone his owner cared about, deeply. Thomas waited until Robert had mounted his stallion before handing him another blanket while Robert's men covered the last embers of the campfire with sand to douse it, climbing their own horses without needing orders and commands to know what was expected from them.

Robert normally took the lead, but with Mario sitting in the saddle before him, he jerked his head at Thomas and Thomas' second Mats who now took the lead, followed by Robert and his soldiers. Robert didn't look back at the castle as he pressed his heels into Black Arrow's flanks, his only concern being to bring Mario to the only place where he hopefully would be safe and sound, being able to recover from the horrors he had experienced during the last months, if recovering from them would be possible, that is. Robert truly doubted that, but, after all, hope is the last thing to die.

 

\---------------------------------------------

 

The ride went by in an array of blurred pictures flashing before his eyes whenever the scenery in front of him changed, followed by a state of almost unconsciousness, dizziness and bouts of nausea and chills. Mario was wrapped into a warm coat and a thick blanket, and the rising sun warmed up the air more and more with every hour that passed, but Mario felt ice-cold from the inside, and the chills refused to fade until Robert finally pulled him as close to his body as possible while riding his vivid stallion. His strong arm not only kept him from falling from the horse, but also offered protection and comfort, and the heat radiating from the young earl's doublet covered chest let the heavy chills wrecking him from head to toe finally fade.

Mario would have been amazed that Robert didn't mind getting stains from his dirty clothing if he could have brought himself to care about such things, but, as things stood, he was only grateful that Robert held him, and the fear and panic he had felt in his presence after watching Robert killing another human with nothing but grim determination displaying on his handsome features vanished with each mile they left between them and his former prison.

Robert's gentle lips grazed his temple now and then and the even movements of the beautiful stallion eventually lulled him to sleep. Mario relaxed with a sigh and snuggled close to the warm chest, closing his hurting eyes and the last thing he heard before the slumber of exhaustion claimed him made him almost smile.

“Yes, go to sleep, my sweet Sunny, no one is ever going to hurt you again, I promise you.”

 

\-------------------------------------------------

 

It was almost dark by the time he woke up again because of the gentle touch of a hand shaking carefully his shoulder.

“Sunny, we're home again.”

Home. Mario tasted the word on his tongue, and it tasted as sweet as it tasted uncommon, because Mario had lost his home a long time ago and he had forgotten how sweet this short but so important word actually tasted. He knew that it wasn't his home, but the home of the Earl of Lindelborn, but, Robert apparently was willing to share his home with him and this was more than Mario could ever have dreamed of during the long, cold and horrible nights he had spent in Castle Drachenfels, lying bleeding and hurting on his thin straw mat and listening anxiously to the sounds that would announce his owner's arrival and another round of agonizing torture going on for hours.

“Home...” he mumbled, blinking to clear his still blurred vision. The solid and warm weight behind him moved away as Robert dismounted his stallion, and Mario started to shiver in the cool air of the evening once more.

Two strong arms pulled him gently from the horse that snorted excitedly as it picked up the scent of its own stable and Mario expected to be put on his feet, but instead, the young earl carried him on his arms into the shelter of his impressive home illuminated by several torches and candles. Mario was too tired to protest against this treatment, he only looked around to take a curious glance at his surroundings.

Castle Lindelborn was bigger and much more impressive than any other castle Mario had ever seen except for Castle Trifels itself. It was truly an imperial castle, built to protect the Trifels and it showed the importance of its owner.

A wonderful large lime tree grew next to the well and Mario realized from where the castle had gotten its name. Robert carried him to the wooden gate and his men followed him, opening each door for their lord and his precious cargo. The movements made Mario feel dizzy again and he closed his eyes, trusting Robert to not let him fall down to the ground.

He must have dozen off again, because the next thing he knew was that someone gently laid him onto a comfortable bed. He opened his eyes, looking confused around, struggling to get up into a sitting position.

Robert sat next to him on the edge of a rather huge bed with cozy pillows and warm blankets. “Robert, where am I?” he mumbled as he looked around. This bedroom was truly magnificent, and it resembled not the least his own chamber in his father's castle. Mario realized that Robert must have brought him into his own bedroom and he tensed up involuntarily, expecting the young earl to demand his payment for what he had done for him, instantly.

Robert's expression told him that the young earl knew quite well what was going on in his head. “I am so sorry for what you had to witness, Sunny,” he said and Mario could hear the regret in Robert's quiet voice.

He swallowed. “Why did you kill him? You could have just defeated him! He surely would have let us go if you...” he suddenly burst out, all of his helpless anger, confusion, fear and worries audible in his cracking voice. “Why did you do this?”

He flinched away from the older man watching him, expecting him to beat him for his impudence. Mario knew that he should have been grateful for having been rescued, but all he could think of was that Robert had killed a man right in front of him and had brought him to his own bedroom to... to...

Robert didn't raise his hand to smash him, he even didn't move, he just sat there, looking at him with understanding and regret in his eyes. “No, Sunny, I couldn't have just defeated him. Eberhart would never have let us go. He wanted to kill me and he most likely would have killed you, too, afterwards. I am truly sorry for killing him in front of you, but, I had no other choice. I am not sorry for defending us and doing what's necessary, only that you had to watch me doing it. I am a warrior, Sunny. That's what I am supposed to do. I swore an oath to protect and defend our emperor and his charges and you are one of them. Your brother belongs to his personal guards. I did what I am expected to do, nothing more, nothing less. Plus, I gave you my word that I won't touch you and you don't have to fear that I will touch you against your will.”

Mario licked over his split lips. “But, this is your bedroom and you surely expect me to pay you back for what you have done for me and serve you...”

Robert shook his head. “No, Sunny, I don't. You're right, this is my bedroom, but, I will sleep in another room as long as you'll stay here. This is the room where you will be most confident and comfortable, and I will place some guards before the door if it makes you feel better, Sunny. I ordered my men to protect you like they would protect me and I meant that.”

Mario snorted. “They are your men. They surely wouldn't keep _you_ from entering _your_ own bedroom,” he said, expecting Robert to laugh, but, the young earl stayed serious. “If I'll give them the order to let no one in during the night, even not me, than, they won't let no one in, me included.”

“Oh.” Mario blinked, not knowing what to answer to that.

Robert sighed. “Listen, Mario. I know that I lost the little trust and faith you had put in me when you had to watch our fight and because of what I said about you and how I dragged you along on your collar. I am more sorry for all of this than you'll ever know, but, it was the only way to get us out of Castle Drachenfels and make sure that you will be safe and protected. You are my honored guest and I won't treat you in any other way than with the respect and friendliness you deserve. You are the son of the Earl of Lewenberc and not a servant, slave or toyboy. You are not my captive, Mario. You are free to go where you want to go whenever you want to – after one night of undisturbed sleep, a bath and a proper meal. I ordered my personal maid Anna to serve you and your bath should be ready by now, my private restroom is behind this door.” Robert pointed at a wooden door Mario hadn't noticed before, too caught up in the sight of the he bed.

“I will leave you alone now so you can take your bath and clean yourself up and after that, I would be honored if you would have dinner with me. You can tell me your decision whether you want to stay here or leave me tomorrow, then.”

Robert reached out with his hand, stroking Mario's pale cheek in a brief but tender gesture, rising to his feet in one elegant move, and before Mario realized what had just happened, simply pressing his hand against his tingling skin where the earl had stroked him, Robert was gone and he was left alone – for the first time in months.

 

_Here you can see the dragon carved into the stone that probably gave the castle its name:_

  



	7. Clean Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario can finally bathe and Robert is waiting for him in his private dining room. Both of them thinking about the meaning of the word clean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter and nothing much happens, but, it is an important one, describing Robert's and Mario's feelings again.
> 
> Your feedback is amazing, please, keep it up and tell me what you think about my story. Thank you.

Mario stared after Robert, trying to digest what just had happened. Robert, the Earl of Lindelborn had actually left him alone in his bedroom, offering him everything Mario craved for without wanting anything in return. He knew that feeling clean again, washing away not only the dirt, but also the memory of Eberhart's touch, sating his hunger and sleeping in a real bed without having to fear that someone would come to him where things he had taken for normal and granted only a couple of months ago, but for him, it could have been years ago, in another life, a life he would never ever be able to live again. For him, such small mercies had become true miracles and having some time alone and privacy was the most precious thing he could only imagine.

Mario hesitantly stood up, his whole body aching, not only from the beating and the rapes, but also from his heavy vomiting and the long ride. Every muscle inside his body protested as he moved and Mario suppressed a groan as he made his way across the chamber and to the wooden door.

The maid Anna must have heard him, because the door opened when he he reached it, revealing another room enlightened by several candles and Mario's heart missed a beat when he saw the huge tub filled with steaming water almost to the edge. This could only be a dream he certainly would wake up from it the very next second, just to find himself in Castle Drachenfels again, lying on his hard straw mat and Eberhart pulling him to his feet on his short hair.

Mario cautiously entered the room, not sure if he would stand a young woman seeing him in his current state. He was filthy and dirty and he stank, and letting her see all of his bruises, cuts and other wounds was something he really didn't want. He felt ashamed and unsure, but, the tub was hard to resist and so, he stepped closer to it, his eyes lowered down to the ground.

“Hello, Mario, I am Anna and I will serve you and help you with your bath,” a warm and smooth voice said and Mario hesitantly looked up again.

Robert's personal maid waiting for him behind the tub was a plump woman in her early autumn, and her chubby face with the red cheeks and the warm blue eyes similar to Robert's showed only motherly concern and understanding. Mario's knees buckled with relief and he reached out to keep himself upright.

The next minute, Anna was standing next to him, holding him like his beloved nurse had always done, undressing him with years of practice. “My poor boy, what did they do to you!” she growled, but Mario could hear that her anger wasn't the least aimed at him, and he gratefully let her take the lead and undress him before he stepped into the tub with her help, hoping that he would never have to see those clothes again.

The warm water enclosed his bruised aching body and Mario leaned his head against the edge of it and closed his eyes in pure bliss. God, this must be heaven, a heaven on Earth he had thought he would never ever see again and he didn't try to wipe away the tears streaming over his face as he savored the feeling of being warm and safe and clean for the first time after what felt like an eternity.

“It's good that my lord brought you here, my poor darling,” Anna told him and Mario listened to the soft rustling of her clothes as she knelt down beside the tub and started to wash him with the soap that smelled of sweet herbals like Katharina had always washed him when he had been younger. He didn't feel ashamed or embarrassed anymore, her behavior too motherly and caring to let him feel anything else than gratitude and something that almost resembled happiness.

Anna's movements were strong and firm and yet tender and gentle and Mario dropped into a another state of doziness as she started to wash the dirt from his hair, massaging his scalp with skilled fingers. She hummed a silent cheerful melody and Mario listened to her smooth voice, glad that she didn't feel the need to chat and ask him questions about what had happened to him. This had to be obvious despite the rather dark light of the candles and Mario noticed that Anna was very careful whenever she came near his wounds and bruises, murmuring something unintelligible to herself. Mario was pretty sure that her words weren't praises about Eberhart's handiwork, but the things she wished he would face in the hell he most likely was in now.

Mario lost all track of time while he let Robert's maid take care of him and when he finally stood up with shaky legs, clean and his skin rosy from the warmth and the gentle massage, he almost felt like a human being again. Even his stomach had chosen to cooperate again, unknotting itself and making itself noticeable by growling and gargling rather loudly.

“Yes, my poor darling, that will come next. I ordered something light you will be able to eat without problems, a soup, bread and cheese. It should be ready and my lord Robert surely is waiting for you in his private dining room,” Anna assured him in her smooth and motherly voice. She circled him while sh dried him with soft and fragrant linen towels, rubbing his hair until it was only still slightly wet.

“Now, we only need to dress you again and then, you will finally get something to eat, my sweet little boy. My dear lord was right to kill this rat. It's almost a pity that he died that fast. He would have deserved more pain for what he did to you!” she growled deep in her throat and Mario gaped at her, stunned and speechless. Anna laid her hand on his left cheek, gently stroking over the swell beneath his eye. “My lord Robert didn't tell me much, my poor darling. I am old enough to know what he did to you. Tomorrow, I will see to what I can do to ease your pain. But, tonight, all you really need is something to eat and a couple of hours of undisturbed sleep.”

Mario swallowed, pressing his cheek against her calloused palm. “Thank you, Anna,” he whispered, his voice cracking with his emotions. Anna smiled at him and wrapped her strong arm around his shoulder. “You don't have to thank me, Mario. My lord cares deeply about you and he is right with that. You really need someone to take care of you and I wouldn't let anybody else do that. Come, my poor sweetheart, I chose some of Lord Robert's old clothes for you, when he was younger and smaller. They should fit you.”

Mario let himself be guided into the master bedroom again and Anna let go of him to take some clothes from a chair in one of the corners. Mario gulped as he saw the 'old' clothes, not only much more splendid than the ones he had worn during his stay in Castle Drachenfels, but also much more splendid than the ones he had worn when he had still been Mario, the son of the Earl of Lewenberc.

Anna helped him into the white linen underwear, a shirt with long sleeves and trousers reaching to his knees and then handed him the woolen stockings and the trousers made of dark red velvet. The doublet was made of velvet, too, the color a rich and warm brown. Mario felt a strange urge pooling in his stomach and it took him one moment until he realized what it was: pride.

After months of humiliation, endless agonizing pain and grief, he felt pride and self-confidence again. It was only a brief moment and then, it was gone again, but, for a few seconds, Mario had been able to catch a glimpse of his former self again, and he would forever be grateful for that, no matter what would happen in the future to him.

Mario, the son of the Earl of Lewenberc finally felt clean again, something he had thought would never happen to him.

 

\---------------------------------------

 

Robert had been too nervous to sit down while he waited for Mario to join him in his private dining room where he always took his meals when there were no guests he had to entertain and to host.

The room was much smaller than the impressive hall and it was much easier to warm up and Robert liked it better than the huge knight's hall where he had to dine with his guests.

He paced up and down, letting the day pass before his mind's eye again and musing about whether he could have done anything in any other way than the way he had. There was nothing, but, he couldn't stop thinking and questioning himself and his actions again and again. He knew that he had lost the little bit of trust Mario had put in him after only a couple of hours again and it hurt more than he had thought it would.

Robert sighed, starting another round across the room. He knew that Mario was in best hands with Anna, but, everything inside him screamed to serve Mario himself and make sure that he would get the best treatment possible, the love and care he deserved.

Robert stopped. Love? Could it really be that he had fallen in love with the young man?

The young earl stared blindly at the opposite wall, his eyes not seeing the wonderful carpet hanging there to hide the grey stone and to keep the cold outside and the warmth inside, but Mario's beaten and bruised face.

Yes, he loved him.

Robert, the Earl of Lindelborn had fallen in love with Mario, son of the Earl of Lewenberc, hardly grown up, more a boy than a man, beaten, abused and raped by creatures that presumed to call themselves noblemen without even knowing the real meaning of this word.

The dark-haired knight swallowed, picking up his restless hike through his dining room again.

He wouldn't tell Mario that he loved him. He had no right to do that.

Robert had killed a man before his eyes and he had no right to tell his sweet Sunny that he loved him. It didn't matter that he had killed Eberhart to rescue Mario and that the robber baron had tortured his Sunny over months. Robert had seen the fear and the disgust in the brunet's eyes when he had come to the alcove where the young man had waited, trembling and scared to death – of him, not of Eberhart. Mario had been scared because he must have realized what Robert truly was – that he was not the least better than Eberhart had been, that he killed without even flinching, that he would do it again if necessary.

There was blood glued to his hands and no matter how oftentimes he would wash them with water and soap, no matter how much he would scrub them, the blood would always be there and never ever fade again. It wouldn't be visible any longer, but, it would still be there and neither Mario, nor Robert himself would forget that.

Robert felt dirty because of what he had done and he wasn't sure if he would ever feel clean again.

 

_The high tower of Castle Drachenfels from where the guards could see their enemies approaching, it is built out of the natural stone, (and yes, I have been on top of it even though I suffer badly from vertigo :-))_

  



	8. The Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario has taken a bath and feels clean again. Now, Robert is waiting for him in the dining room. Has Robert really lost Mario's trust or will they come closer again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the rather long wait, my dear superfragalistic, I hope you will like your new chapter. It is a sweeter one again.
> 
> My dear readers, thank you for supporting this story that much. Please, keep up your wonderful feedback and let me know what you think, leave kudos and comments to tell me your opinion. It is hard to write WIPs without constant your constant support, especially such demanding ones like this.

A silent sound coming from the door made Robert stop in his pacing, and when he turned around to see who the newcomer was, his breath faltered and his heart missed several beats before starting to gallop as if it wanted to break out of his chest.

Mario stood in the doorway with a shy smile on his face and he looked so beautiful that Robert's eyes became wet and his throat tightened, painfully, with all his emotions he felt for him.

It wasn't the clothes he wore making him that beautiful, clothes that were appropriate for the son of an important earl and which Robert recognized very well. Anna had done a great job and the shimmering dark-red and golden-brown velvet suited the young man perfectly, making his skin, his eyes and his still damp light-brown hair shine and glow.

It also wasn't the fact that Mario was clean now for the first time since Robert had met him, his face rosy from the hot water and Anna's gentle scrubbing, and his hair showing its wonderful natural light-brown color. His face was still bruised and slightly swollen, the cuts covered with healing scab, but Robert could see the regularity of his delicate features underneath them and Mario's eyes and cheeks weren't as sunken as they had been any longer, the dark-brown depths not dead and filled with misery like they had been before tonight.

No, the beauty that struck Robert that much showed itself in another way than people normally counted as beauty. It showed itself in Mario's posture, his shoulders not slumped and his back not hunched anymore but straight again, just with the right amount of tension and pride. His beauty showed itself in the way his eyes sparkled with life again and in the way he held his head, his chin lifted with the will to fight and defend himself instead of letting others beat, abuse and rape him.

There was hope in the sweet young face of the boy who had trapped Robert's heart that easily, hope that let his eyes sparkle and colored his cheeks in a light pink, and the Earl of Lindelborn wasn't surprised to find himself willing to sacrifice himself and die for this young man who had gone through a living hell for months and yet was able to feel hope and true joy about such small things like a simple bath and warm and clean clothes.

The beauty the dark-haired nobleman could see was a beauty coming from the bottom of Mario's heart and from the innocence he still had, no matter which cruelties Detlef and Eberhart had tortured him with.

The smile on Mario's face faded when Robert did nothing than just standing in the middle of his private dining room and staring at him, and the change in his face pulled the Earl out of his musings.

He smiled back, crossing the room with firm steps and offering the younger one his arm. Of course, Mario was not a young lady used to be treated this way, but for Robert, it didn't matter. Mario was his honored and cherished guest, and he would do everything he could to make Mario feel welcomed and safe in his castle. He couldn't erase the memory of what he had done this morning when he had killed another man, but, he could show Mario that he was loved and that no one would harm him as long as Robert had anything to say in this matter.

“Sunny, please come in. You must be hungry and Anna will see to bringing our dinner right away,” he said and after one tiny second of hesitation, Mario laid his hand upon his arm and let Robert guide him to the table. “Thank you, Robert,” he murmured unsure, but he looked Robert in his eyes and the older man could feel his heart missing another beat when he saw the will to trust him at least a little bit in the dark-brown eyes.

He pulled the chair for him and his beloved Sunny blushed sweetly by his courtesy. “Thank you,” he mumbled again as he sat down, watching Robert circling the table and sitting down at the other end. It was only a small table, meant for not more than four people eating there and Robert could have taken Mario's hand, but he had promised him not to touch him without permission and resisted his strong urge to take the slightly trembling fingers in his hand and stroke them.

“Do you feel any better?” he only asked and Mario nodded his head. “Yes, I do. It is wonderful to feel clean again and the clothes you were so kind to lend me until my own ones are cleaned again...”

Robert's low growl silenced him and Mario couldn't help his flinch as he stared at his host with big, scared eyes. The Earl of Lindelborn cursed inwardly. He forced his features to relax to the tender smile his Sunny deserved to see and cleared his throat to calm down his voice. “Sunny, I didn't lend you these clothes. They are yours and they will stay yours. They suit you perfectly, better than they ever suited me, and I will see to you getting clothes made especially for you in case you decide to stay here and honor me with your presence for a while longer. I ordered Anna to burn the old shreds you were forced to wear before we came here and there is no way that I would have let you wear them again for even one second. My home will be your home as long as you want to stay and I will gladly share my belongings with you and gift you with everything you'll need. You are my honored guest and each and every member of my household will treat you like they treat me and protect you and serve you as if it was me they would serve and protect. You are safe here and no one will do you any harm, you have my word on that.”

 

\-------------------------------------

 

Mario had listened to Robert's passionate speech with his mouth open and a stunned expression on his face and when the dark-haired knight closed his mouth again, he didn't know what to say to that. He wetted his lips again and took a deep breath, but all that came out of his mouth was “thank you, Robert,” for the third time.

He felt stupid that he couldn't say anything else, but it seemed to be enough for the young earl, because he smiled at him and when the older man cautiously took his hand to squeeze his fingers, Mario didn't pull back. The nobleman had promised him to not touch him without permission, but, Mario had seen the question in his eyes before he had taken his trembling fingers in his own warm ones, calloused from holding his sword, and he hadn't pulled away, secretly craving for Robert's reassuring touch.

Mario had thought that he could never ever enjoy being touched by another man again for the rest of his life after what he had endured in Baron Eberhart's castle. But then, Robert had held him during his sleep, and his embrace had given him a feeling of comfort and safety Mario had never experienced before. It had felt so right to pillow his head on the broad chest and he had been able to sleep without nightmares for the first time in months. He had started to trust the young earl just to see him killing Eberhart a couple of minutes after he had held him so gently and it had confused and frightened Mario.

How could one man be so gentle and kind and yet so hard, merciless and willing to kill another human at the same time? Of course, Eberhart had tortured him and never treated him with anything else than cruelty, hate and disgust, but, he had been predictable. Mario had known that he would never receive any kindness from this man and this had been reassuring somehow, as ridiculous as it might be. Eberhart had been a cruel man and Mario had known what to expect from him.

Robert on the other hand had been only kind and friendly, gently. Mario had felt safe and protected and he had started to trust him until he had witnessed Robert fighting with his former torturer, seeing the will to kill the other man in his blue eyes. Mario knew why he had done it and yet he couldn't silence the slight doubt Robert's behavior had aroused in him.

What if Mario did something Robert didn't like? Would he turn into the merciless slaughter and punish him? Would he beat him or rape him like Eberhart had done when he was sure that Mario didn't expect him to do so? Could it really be that one man had two so different sides united in him? The one of the kind and understanding friend and the one of the determined warrior?

Mario had never met someone like Robert before. His father wasn't a real warrior, he was a skilled diplomat and he had his guards and his soldiers fighting for him. He was always reserved and strict, never showed any other behavior than the one of the politician. His nurse had always loved him, and even when she had told him off, she had done so in her sweet and loving way. No one had ever behaved like Robert: kind and almost tender the one minute and hard and relentless in the next moment.

Robert let go of his hand but kept the smile on his face and Mario hesitantly relaxed. Maybe, he would know the answer after learning more about Robert and this thought caught him by surprise, showing him that he had unconsciously made the decision to stay here for a while longer despite his doubts. He wasn't ready to go back to his father at the moment and to be honest, he wasn't sure if he would ever become ready for facing his family again. Only time would tell if his feelings about that would change.

Anna opening the door, carrying a huge tray with steaming bowls, made both of them turn their heads. “Anna, let me help you!” Before Mario knew what happened, the dark-haired nobleman surprised him again, jumping to his feet and taking the tray from his maid to place it on the table. Mario had never seen any nobleman doing something like that, trying to make it easier for their servants to serve them.

The middle-aged woman with the neat white bonnet and the red and round cheeks, reminding Mario of the sweet apples he loved so much, smiled at her lord. “Thank you, my dear,” she said and Mario blinked. His nurse Katharina had loved him like a mother, but she had never addressed him like that, she had always called him 'Lord Mario' since he had been a baby.

“Please, go to bed, Anna. It is late and you were up and on your feet since the morning broke, I know that without having been here. I will serve us and the night guard can see to removing the plates later.” Robert patted her arm, earning a smile and a soft pinch of his cheek with that.

“I shouldn't listen to your sweet words, my dear boy,” his former nurse and personal maid said with a smile that showed the love and understanding between her and her lord. “But I have to admit that my feet are killing me, so I won't argue with you.” She went to Mario watching them with big eyes, bending down and placing a kiss on his forehead. “I will wake you up tomorrow when you have gotten an entire night of proper sleep, my poor baby, and see to your wounds then. Don't you dare doing anything else than only resting, understood?”

Mario was too stunned to object, only nodding his head. “I promise you, Anna,” he stammered and after another musing look, she stroked his cheek. “You are safe here, darling. My dear boy won't let anyone harm you because he knows that I would pull him by his ears if he did,” she said and Mario noticed with astonishment Robert's amused chuckle. His father would have punished his maid for saying such impudent things, but Robert only laughed and winked at her.

“That is not the only reason why I won't let anyone come near Mario!” he complained and she smiled at him. “I know, my dear. Eat before it gets cold!” she then ordered, turning around to leave the room. Mario watched her leave before facing the older man again. Robert had taken the wooden spoon and started to fill Mario's plate with the deliciously smelling soup. Mario's stomach growled and he blushed, but Robert didn't seem to mind the embarrassing sounds his belly made.

“It's good that you are hungry, Sunny. But, eat carefully and stop before you feel really sated. Your stomach has to get used to proper meals in a slow pace and I don't want you becoming sick again. You need the nutrients and your throat won't take it well if you'll have to vomit once more.”

Mario nodded and took the slice of bread the earl handed him, nibbling at it while Robert filled his glass with a light wine. The soup tasted as good as it smelled and Mario savored each bite he took. The simple meal tasted so much better than the opulent banquets on Castle Trifels had been and the soup warmed him from the inside like the bath had warmed his skin. Robert ate in a similar slow pace as he did and it was obvious that he enjoyed eating, not wanting to just gobble down what his cook had prepared for him with care and great skills. He also only sipped from his wine and Mario was grateful that he had mixed the alcohol with water to decrease the effect. He had sworn to himself that he would never ever drink so much again like he had drunk in that horrible and fateful night and he didn't know if he would have been able to deal with a drunk Robert.

Mario took another bite from the fresh bread, finally allowing himself to relax, a feeling he hardly knew anymore after months of fear and terror in the captivity of a cruel robber baron.

The robber baron Robert had killed for him, something Mario still tried to digest.

 

\----------------------------------------

 

They ate in silence, each of them deeply lost in their thoughts. Robert didn't try to talk to the young man, granting him the time he needed to relax and come to terms with his confused emotions, and when he noticed the tension in his shoulders easing visibly as the boy eventually relaxed, he felt an overwhelming gratitude that made his eyes become wet.

Maybe, it wasn't too late and his sweet Sunny would be able to forgive him for what had had to do to rescue him. Maybe, he would be willing to give him another chance, starting to trust him again that Robert would never lay his hand on him without permission and surely never to hurt him and do him any harm.

Robert was a warrior and a soldier and he did what was necessary during a battle, to defend himself or the ones he loved and fulfill the duties and responsibilities he had towards the emperor. He had killed adversaries before and he would do it again, but Robert, the Earl of Lindelborn had never raised his hand against innocents and the ones he had sworn to protect. He had never beaten his charges and the members of his household, and he wouldn't do that in the future. He had seen the worries in the wonderful brown eyes Mario had mulled over before Anna had entered the room, and he hoped that his talk with his personal maid and former nurse had proved to the younger one that he didn't need to worry about Robert ever treating him in any other way than with kindness and friendliness.

Each time he gazed at Sunny, the boy seemed to feel his eyes upon him and looked up from his plate and after a while, he returned Robert's tender smile, still cautious, but less worried. Robert took that as a good sign and when Mario pushed the plate away, rubbing his stomach with an expression of pure bliss, he did the same even though he still felt hungry. But, Robert had learned to deal with hunger, the cold during the nights on the battlefield or when he had been trapped between the walls of robber castles like Drachenfels, and he could see that Mario was hardly able to keep his eyes open any longer.

“Are you sated, Sunny?” he asked and the brunet sighed wistfully. “I could eat more, but, you are right, Robert. My stomach feels full and I don't want to become sick because I ate too much.”

Robert nodded. “Very well. I will tell the night guard to see to the plates and the left-overs then. I am sure that they won't mind a second dinner – except for the wine, of course. It wouldn't be clever to get drunk during the watch.”

Mario frowned with amazement. “You don't mind them eating our left-overs?” he asked and Robert could see that this thought was new to him.

“It is still warm and eatable, Sunny. Why throwing away what others will appreciate? My cook needs her sleep and I don't want her having to get up again to make sure that the soup will still be eatable tomorrow.”

Mario blinked. “I see.” He stifled a yawn and Robert felt a wave of tenderness surging through him. “You need to rest, Sunny. You can use my private restroom and I can assure you that you will be undisturbed in my bedroom. I gave order that the guards won't let anybody in like I promised to you earlier.”

The young man nodded and stood up to make his way to the door leading to Robert's bedroom. Robert watched him leave with a heavy heart. He longed to hold his sweet Sunny during his sleep, to make sure that he wouldn't be haunted by nightmares and sleep peacefully instead, but apparently, Mario had lost the little faith he had had in him and Robert would accept that and be patient until he had won it back – if he would be able to win it back, that is.

Mario reached for the door-handle, but then stopped in the middle of his movement, turning around to Robert.

He bit his lips, staring at the dark-haired knight for one moment, his gaze uncertain, but then, he straightened his shoulders and asked, much to Robert's biggest surprise:

“Please, Robert, would you stay with me and hold me again while I sleep? Not for – anything else, just hold me, please?”

 

_The view from the top of the tower is breathtaking, but I don't think that Mario has been able to enjoy it..._

  



	9. Hold Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario asked Robert to stay the night with him. Will Robert agree to hold him and will Mario start to trust him again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story becomes longer and longer, I actually wanted to write about the entire night, but I didn't come further than to Mario and Robert starting to get ready for bed... I have some ideas for more chapters exploring Robert's and Mario's characters instead of just going on with the plot, please tell me if you would be interested in that and in this story becoming some kind of tapeworm. Your feedback for stories like this is invaluable for me and I need it to go on with them, so please share your thoughts with me. :-)
> 
> This chapter might remind you of what Robert had said in Castle Drachenfels to Mario, but please remember that this was before Robert killed Eberhart and scared Mario with that. Now, he has to regain his trust and he also now knows that he loves Mario but has to hide his feelings from him, therefore, this chapter is important for the future and not only a repetition.

Mario gazed at the Earl of Lindelborn, trying to not show his nervousness about the older man's answer. Would the dark-haired nobleman agree to his request and spend the night with him – without expecting anything in return? Mario didn't think that Robert would try to rape him, at least not anymore after his earlier doubts during the day, but maybe, the earl would try to seduce him and Mario wasn't sure if he would be able to reject him then.

He wasn't disgusted by the thought of sleeping with the older one, and this really surprised him.

After his experiences with Eberhart, he hadn't thought that he could ever feel anything else than disgust by the mere thought of having sex with another being. It was only that he wasn't ready for any kind of intimacy with anyone yet, he was still injured and hurting all over and he feared that he wouldn't be capable of saying no to Robert of Lindelborn if he wanted more from him than just watching his sleep again. Yet, the prospect of spending the night alone, being haunted by his nightmares over and over again all night long, scared him more than the possibility of having to serve the other man's needs, and he found himself willing to pay this prize if Robert wanted him to pay for his rescue.

Mario swallowed and licked his lips, waiting anxiously for the dark-haired knight to say something.

Robert just stared at him for some time, quiet and his face motionless, but just when Mario opened his mouth to apologize for his impudent question, he smiled at him and asked: “It would be my honor and my pleasure to hold you while you sleep, Sunny, but are you really sure that you want that? Do you trust me enough after what I have done this morning? I could sleep on a straw mat next to your bed or in this room here. I would hear you if you called for me, but you could sleep undisturbed and without me being too close to you if you'd prefer that solution.”

Mario blinked. Robert was willing to sleep on a thin and rather hard straw mat? On the cold ground beside his comfortable bed or here in his dining room? Mario hadn't expected this and it left him as speechless as Robert had been left only three minutes ago.

“You would sleep on a straw mat?” he finally managed to stammer, expecting Robert to smile or laugh, telling him that he had only made a joke, but the young nobleman stayed serious. “Of course, I would do that, Mario, if it would be better and more comfortable for you. I slept on the hard ground of the battlefield countless times and I don't care about sleeping on a straw mat, at all, my dear Sunny. All I care about is that you will be fine and well.”

“Uhm...” Mario felt touched. He fiddled with his doublet and gazed at the taller man from underneath his eyelashes who finally crossed the distance and stepped to him. Robert reached out with his hand but stilled in his movement, his fingers hovering in the air right underneath Mario's chin as he waited for his permission to touch him. Mario nestled his chin in Robert's hand and the young earl gently lifted his head up to look Mario in his eyes.

“You don't have to fear that I could either force myself upon you or try to seduce you, Sunny. I know how much Eberhart hurt you, not only physically, but also your soul. The mere thought of hurting you even more than he already did makes me feel sick to my stomach. I will gladly hold you and protect you in your sleep, and I promise you that I will do my best to keep your nightmares at bay, but you don't have to fear that I could touch you in any other way than only to hold you or see to your well-being, Sunny,” Robert said, the expression in his deep blue eyes honest and sincere.

Mario looked up at him, relaxing under the tender and yet innocent touch. “Then please, do it, hold me in your arms during the night, Robert,” he whispered and Robert bent forward, pressing a gentle kiss on Mario's forehead.

“I will come to you after seeing to the leftovers and giving the needed orders to my guards, Sunny. Will you wait for me in our bedroom?”

Mario nodded his head, a relieved smile lighting up his bruised features. “Yes, Robert, I will wait for you in our bedroom.”

It was only when Robert turned around to walk to the other door when he realized that not only Robert had said 'our' bedroom, but he himself, as well.

 

\------------------------------------

 

Robert could hardly believe his luck that he hadn't lost the trust Mario had had in him because of the happenings in the morning as he made his way to the other side of his private dining room. The silent sound coming from the door leading to his bedroom told him that Mario had left and for one second, he waited anxiously for the sound of the key being turned in the lock that would tell him that the boy had changed his mind. But, the sound didn't come and Robert gratefully relaxed his shoulders, opening the door to call his guards.

“Mylord?” the younger one of his two guards asked, and Robert smiled at him. “Julian, we couldn't eat all of the dinner and I don't want it to go to the waste, so please, serve yourself with the leftovers.”

He could see that Julian and Roman were pleased about his offer, knowing that Robert hadn't offered it out of pity or arrogance but because he cared about his charges and about food in general. He also didn't need to tell them to see to the plates and glasses afterwards, this was something his men did without him having to tell them because it avoided vermin that would spread out otherwise.

“No one except for Anna is allowed to enter my rooms, Roman, Julian.” he reminded them and Roman nodded his head. “Of course, Mylord Robert. I saw to doubling the guards when we came home, and the gate is guarded by twelve soldiers instead of the usual six. Nobody will be able to enter Castle Lindelborn.”

Robert was pleased to hear that, but he hadn't expected anything less from his well-trained soldiers. “Thank you,” he said, smiling at both before turning around and crossing his dining room again.

When he reached the door, he turned around one last time. Roman, the older one of his two personal guards had obviously told Julian to eat first because the younger one had followed him and now sat down at the table. He used his left hand to eat, his right one touching the hilt of his sword and his gaze was sharp and fixed on the halfway opened door.

Robert knew that neither Julian nor Roman would neglect their duties, and he took one deep breath and opened the door to his bedroom where Mario was waiting for him.

 

\-----------------------------------------

 

Mario was sitting on the edge of the bed when he stepped into his rather dark bedroom, only two candles attached to the wall offering some light, the warm golden flames quivering in the gust of wind Robert had caused when he had entered the room.

He still wore his doublet and his trousers and Robert stopped beside the bed, considering the younger one. “You would be more comfortable sleeping in your underwear, Sunny,” he said gently and Mario gazed up at him, biting his lip. “I know. But, I have problems with the fastenings...It has been so long since I wore such clothes and my arm still hurts so much...” the brunet admitted and Robert suppressed a heartfelt curse about his own stupidity.

“How dense of me, of course, I will help you, Sunny. Just let me use the restroom first, and then, I'll help you with the fastenings, alright?” he asked, and Mario smiled relieved at him. “Thank you, Robert.”

Robert hurried through a quick bedtime routine, not wanting to let Mario wait longer than necessary and when he entered his bedroom again, Mario sat on the same spot in the same position, his eyes staring blindly at one of the candles.

“Sunny?” Robert sat down beside him, leaving a few inches of space between them. He could see that the boy was deeply lost in his thoughts and he didn't want to startle him. “Sunny?” he repeated when Mario didn't react and after one more minute, his guest blinked as if he had just woke up from a dream. He slowly turned his head and looked at Robert, his expression proving to the dark-haired earl that the young man he loved so much was haunted by his memories again.

“Robert?” Mario asked, and his voice sounded exhausted and raw.

“Yes, Sunny?” Robert laid as much kindness and tenderness in his glance as he could without revealing his love for the brunet. Mario needed understanding, friendliness and patience, not the feeling of having to fulfill his longing and desire for him. Apart from that, Robert had been honest when he had said that he would never try to seduce him, not in the state his beloved Sunny was in. He still could see the wounds, bruises and cuts Eberhart had caused Mario before his mind's eye, and his desire to protect Mario, the wish to help him heal was much stronger than his sexual desire for him. The mere thought of causing Mario more pain – which he would do if he really tried to sleep with him – made him feel sick and disgusted and he certainly was the last person Mario had to fear when it came to this.

“Why do you do all of this for me?” Mario wanted to know, his wonderful brown eyes watching Robert attentively and the earl knew instantly that the answer was very important to the younger one and would decide on whether or not Mario would stay in Castle Lindelborn and trust him enough to let him take care of him.

Robert took a deep breath and locked eyes with Mario, making sure that the son of the Earl of Lewenberc would see the truth in his eyes as he opened his mouth to answer Mario's question, the most important question anyone had ever asked him.

 

\-------------------------------------------

 

Mario held his breath as he looked at the Earl of Lindelborn, waiting for the answer to the most important question he had ever asked in his life.

The dark-haired warrior locked eyes with him and Mario could see nothing but honesty and sincerity in the blue depths as he opened his mouth and said:

“Because you deserve it, Mario.”

Mario blinked, stunned by this statement. He didn't know what kind of answer he had expected, but surely not the one the older man had given him. How could Robert think that he deserved it? After all, he was responsible for the death of another human being. Marco might have been a servant – Mario knew quite well that most of the aristocrats didn't care about a servant's well-being or death, but, Mario did and had always done. Marco had been a human being, a young man who had deserved better than Mario betraying him and failing him that horribly, causing his death. And after Marco had died alone on that cold tower, Mario had cowardly fled from Castle Trifels, hadn't taken over responsibility for his actions but run away and let Eberhart rape and abuse him, treat him like a slave and a toyboy.

How could Robert truly believe that he deserved to be treated like the nobleman and innocent young man he once had been?

“How can you say that, Robert? After knowing what I have done?” he finally whispered, swallowing hard.

Robert tilted his head to the side, pursing his lips. Then, he lifted his hands up, laying them on Mario's shoulders. “Because you _deserve_ it, Mario,” he repeated, using Mario's birth name instead of the petname he had given him to emphasize that he was serious about this. “You have done nothing. Yes, you drank too much on that night, like so many other young men have done before you and will do after you. But, drinking more than you could digest surely was a stupidity, but, it wasn't a crime. Detlef used your state to his advantage and I am sure that he had planned it beforehand. He was the one who did what you consider your own deed, and he is to blame for everything that happened to you, he and Eberhart of Drachenfels. You, Mario of Lewenberc, are a honorable and sensitive young man with a conscience and who is able to distinguish right from wrong. You feel compassion, regret and shame, and you punished yourself for what you thought was your fault. Now, it is about time that someone treats you the way you more than deserve to be treated and that said someone helps you to heal and realize that you are not responsible for Marco's death.”

Robert loosened his grip around Mario's left shoulder and gently stroked his cheek, carefully avoiding to touch the bruises still visible. “Please, Sunny, let me be this someone. Let me take care of you and be the one showing you that you deserve to be treated like the wonderful young man you actually are.”

Mario chewed on his lip, staring at Robert, drowning in the depths of his eyes, as blue and endless as the sea his brother had talked about, excitedly, as he had learned that he would accompany the emperor and go to Sicily, seeing the Mediterranean Sea. Mario had never seen the ocean but, he was sure that it was as beautiful as the eyes of the Earl of Lindelborn.

“I'd like that, Robert. I'm only not sure if I actually am what you see in me – or ever was,” he eventually murmured.

Robert nodded his head. “I understand that, Sunny. But, I am sure that you are what I see in you and this will do for the time being. So please tell me, will you let me be the one treating you the way you deserve to be treated, Sunny? The one holding you whenever you need it?”

A small smile curled at the corners of Mario's sensitive mouth, widening until it lit up his face and sparkled in his eyes.

“Yes, Robert, I want you to be the one doing that. I want you to be the one holding me.”

 

_Similar fireplaces were surely common in Castle Drachenfels and all the other old castles_

  



	10. The Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario slowly settles in and Robert has to see to his duties again. When Mario takes a nap under the lime tree that gave Castle Lindelborn its name, he becomes the witness of an interesting scene that will tell him more about Robert's character than words could ever have done...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long chapter that will provide us with some progress in the story itself and also give you an insight in Robert's character. There is not so much interaction between Mario and Robert, but, this chapter is an important one. There is also time for a picture again, I hope you will like both. 
> 
> Please, share your opinion with me, your feedback in form of kudos and comments is what keeps me writing.

Robert woke up to his inner clock announcing the early morning without having to look up to the small windows under the ceiling to know that the sun was just slowly rising over the horizon. His inner clock never betrayed him, waking him up, reliably, and the grayish light sneaking its way through the slits between the closed wooden blinds proved to him that today had been no exception from the rule.

The young earl carefully shifted his weight to look at the boy lying curled up next to him, using Robert's chest as a pillow. He could see only the tousled shock of golden-brown hair from his position because Mario had pushed his nose deep into the white linen of his undershirt, but as long as Mario was sleeping peacefully, Robert was fine with everything. The dark-haired knight couldn't resist the temptation to card his fingers through the shimmering strands that were not filthy and lifeless any longer, but soft and silky after the bath the young man had taken the previous evening.

The night had been rough, his beloved Sunny had had nightmares almost until daybreak, tossing and turning and waking up from them, crying and shuddering, but Robert had been prepared for this, expecting the boy's first night in freedom to be like that after what he had endured for months and most of all, witnessed yesterday morning.

Each time, Mario had jerked awake from his fitful slumber, Robert had been there, soothing him and holding him, stroking his trembling back until the brunet had fallen asleep again. He had bundled both of them back under the covers with utter patience every time Mario had tossed them to the side in his dreams, wondering briefly why the young man wasn't covered in sweat like he himself always was after nightmares haunting him in his sleep. But, Mario's skin had been dry and ice-cold instead, and Robert had wrapped the thick blankets around them, tucking his young guest in although this meant less sleep for he himself due to the uncomfortable heat making him sweat and stay awake. After Mario's last nightmare, Robert had soothed him with softly murmured words against the cold skin of his temple, his warm lips gently pressed against the spot where he could feel the boy's pulse throb, and this obviously had helped the brunet to finally calm down and slip into the deeper layers of the sleep of exhaustion.

For a while, Robert simply lay there, watching the grayish shimmer of the early light changing into orange as the sun crept higher and higher, his fingers threading through Mario's hair to their own will. He could only hope that the damage that had been done to his wonderful Sunny wasn't permanent and that the wounds carved into the young man's heart and soul would heal as much as the wounds he carried on his body. There would be scars, of course, scars that would never go away, but maybe, the fresh, thick and at the start deep-red scars would slowly fade to the thin white lines of wounds that had healed a long time ago. Such lines reminded the owner that once, there had been an injury now and then when they looked at it, but, they didn't bother them, neither hurting nor itching in a way that all the owner of such scars wanted to do was to scratch them open until they bled again.

Mario began to stir in his arms, his own inner clock rousing him from his sleep far too early after the poor boy having gotten used to constant sleep deprivation over the last couple of months. Robert knew that they would have to work on getting Sunny back to sleeping at least six or seven hours without any disturbance, slowly, but until that happened, he would see to the young man taking several naps during the day.

“Good morning, Sunny,” he whispered as Mario lifted his head from where it had been pillowed on his chest, blearily blinking around. The brunet yawned heartfeltly, blushing when he realized that he hadn't covered his mouth with his hand, something that told so much more about his noble origin than anything else could have done. Robert knew only little aristocrats who bothered to show such polite behavior, and surely not when their brain was still dazed and dizzy from too little sleep and horrible nightmares. “I'm sorry,” Mario mumbled, sheepishly, but Robert smiled tenderly, stroking his now rosy and warm cheek.

“There's no need for you to be sorry for anything, Sunny,” he assured him, gently. “I would love to let you sleep for longer, but, I don't think that your body will obey. We'll have you to get used to more sleep the slow way and I need to get up and see to some duties today. I was away from my castle for a rather long time and there are things waiting for me that cannot wait,” he regretted, hoping that Mario wouldn't mind his words.

He shouldn't have needed to worry, though, because Mario hauled himself up, swaying a little bit as he did so, but, his face was determined. “Of course, Robert. I would never want you to neglect your duties because of me,” he said and Robert could hear that he meant what he said. “Shall I stay in your quarters and wait for your return?”

Robert sat up, laying his hand under Mario's chin. “No, Sunny. You are not my prisoner, you are my guest, and no one will treat you in any other way than you being a young nobleman and my honored guest. You can go wherever you like to go, as long as you stay in Castle Lindelborn. If you want to leave, I only ask you to tell me, because I don't want you to leave the castle without guards coming with you and protecting you, please.”

Mario smiled at him. “I promise you, Robert. I wouldn't leave without a word after what you have done for me. But, maybe taking a walk would be nice.”

“Whatever you want, Sunny. You can also use my library if you want to.”

Mario sighed wistfully. “My father never allowed me to learn how to read and write. He said that this was something only monks do, no real man and surely no nobleman would disgrace themselves by reading and writing.”

Robert suppressed a snort. He knew that most aristocrats shared the opinion of the Earl of Lewenberc, but, he had never been one of them, finding it very helpfully to be capable of reading and writing his own contracts and important notes for the emperor.

“I shall teach you reading and writing myself then, if you want me to, Sunny,” he offered and this let such a happy expression appear in the wonderful brown eyes that Robert's heart missed a beat.

“You would really do that, Robert?” the brunet whispered with rapt devotion that the dark-haired knight had to swallow against the sudden lump in his throat. “Of course, Sunny. We can start today in the late afternoon. I will also teach you how to defend yourself, properly, in both, close combat and with the sword, but, this has to wait until your wounds have healed, at least partly.”

Mario stared at him in awe and then, he surprised Robert as he leaned in, his lips brushing shyly over the dark stubble on his cheek, grazing the corner of his mouth as he did so. Before the older man could react, his guest had drawn back again, his face deep red because of his own boldness. “Thank you, Robert,” he murmured, gliding from the bed to almost run to the restroom and leaving a baffled earl behind.

Robert watched him disappear behind the door, his hand coming to touch his skin where he still could feel soft lips upon it, blinking as if waking up from a reverie, a happy and wistful smile slowly lightening up his handsome face.

 

\--------------------------------------

 

Mario bit his lip to keep the groans of pain inside as Anna carefully applied the special ointment smelling of herbals onto his cuts and bruises. Her hands were soft and gentle, telling the young man that the angrily sounding words she murmured to herself weren't aimed at him, but at his dead torturer.

The worst part was thankfully over. Mario's tears of shame and humiliation had been swallowed by the thick cushion still emanating Robert's scent he had pressed his face into when the dark-haired earl's personal maid had treated the wounds on his most private parts without uttering one single word, stunned into silence by the damage Eberhart had caused. But, she had seen to those injuries with uttermost tenderness, her plump fingers being far more skilled, deft and soft than one would have given her credit for.

After that part, she had pulled him onto her lap, rocking him like his beloved Katharina had always done when he had been a little boy and come to her with a bleeding knee. Mario had wrapped his arms around her and cried his heart out and Anna had let him do it, whispering soothing words into his ear like a loving mother or nurse would do, assuring him that it wasn't him who should feel ashamed and that she didn't think any less of him because of what she had seen only minutes ago.

Now, he sat on the bed while she saw to the bruises and cuts on his back, front, arms and his face, a small frown of concentration wrinkling her rosy forehead. Her round features showed nothing than concern, care and kindness, and Mario was deeply grateful that it was her treating his injuries and not a young maid or servant he couldn't have trusted as much as he already trusted Robert's own former nurse and now personal maid.

He had had breakfast with Robert before Anna had come to take care of his wounds, and he was eager to explore Castle Lindelborn and maybe sit under the lime tree near the well for a while, craving for the warm sun kissing his face and chasing away the cold deep in his bones making him shiver the entire time away.

Anna closed the small pot with the ointment with a huff. “Let's get you dressed, my poor darling, you need to get out of here and into the sun for a while. You're far too pale under the colors this creature forced upon you,” she said and Mario smiled at her. “I thought the same, I want to sit under the lime tree for a while,” he admitted and the maid nodded her head, approvingly. “Yes, do that, darling. It will be good for you. I shall see to let some of the servants bring you a snack. You're too thin, you have to regain some weight.”

Mario rolled his eyes by the thought of more food after the delicious breakfast, but he snickered. “I will roll my way through the castle faster than I will realize if I let you feed me the way you want to, Anna,” he teased her. “My nurse Katharina said much the same.”

Anna shot him a strict look. “And she was right with that. Young men need to eat properly. You're still growing, I can tell that for sure. Now, get out of here and into the sun and fresh air. The young guard outside will show you the way. His name is Patrick.”

“Thank you, Anna!” Mario gave her a quick peck on her cheek and she blushed and scowled at him, but Mario could see the joy in her eyes when she ushered him out of the room.

The young guard waiting outside bowed before him and Marco was about to open his mouth to protest, but snapped it shut again, not wanting to interfere with Robert's orders. He still had a hard time to see himself not as a servant and slave any longer but an aristocrat again, but Robert apparently wanted him to be treated this way and so he only smiled cautiously at the young soldier.

“I would like to sit under the lime tree near the well for a while, but, I'm afraid that I have no clue where to go,” he said and the young man with the name Patrick nodded his head. “I am your guide today, my lord. Just follow me, please.”

Mario hesitated. “Uhm, could you please just call me Mario?” he asked, dumbfounded. Patrick's eyebrows crawled upwards in surprise, but when he noticed the brunet's genuine discomfort, he tilted his head to the side, musingly. “Not in front of Lord Robert, his orders were pretty clear. But, when we're alone, I think I could do that,” he offered and Mario heaved a relieved sigh. “Thank you, Patrick.”

“You're welcome, my lo... Mario,” the young man who must be about the same age smiled, gesturing to the corridor in front of them. “Now come with me, I will show you the exit and the lime tree you want to sit under.”

Mario followed him outside and when he exited the castle, feeling golden rays of the early summer sun kissing his face in a warm greeting, he almost started to cry again. Patrick led him to the lime tree, promising him to get a cushion and a blanket for him. Mario made himself comfortable under the tree, watching the buzzing activity in the large yard with big eyes. The people living here looked all healthy and content, and he got only a few curious looks now and then that proved to him that Robert's charges all respected their lord's orders and his privacy. He didn't doubt that Robert had told his servants and his guards to leave him alone, and only three or four young children playing under the tree came closer, watching him with big eyes. Mario smiled at them and the small boys and girls smiled back before strolling off again to play catch me.

The young man relaxed, leaning back against the trunk of the lime, his eyelids dropping as he drifted off, still exhausted and the warm sun shining onto his face making him sleepy again.

Mario fell asleep with a smile on his face until sudden shouts woke him up again.

 

\-------------------------------------------

 

Robert had been bent over his calculations, when the guard knocked on his door, his thoughts drifting more oftentimes to the young man he had met only two days ago than it was good for him and his task. He still could feel Mario's chaste kiss upon his cheek and the memory made him blush like a virgin and his heart miss a beat each time it came up into his mind.

“Come in!” he called, knowing that his men wouldn't disturb him if it wasn't an urgent matter. Maybe, something was wrong with Mario and he looked up with a worried expression on his face.

Mats, Thomas' second emerged in the door way, bowing before him. “Mylord, I am sorry that I have to disturb you, but, we caught a thief and Thomas sent me to inform you.”

Robert's jaw dropped. “A thief?” he made sure. His charges had no reason to steal anything from him, they had everything they needed and if there was something they didn't have, they could always ask him.

“Yes, Mylord Robert. The guards caught him just before he could sneak out.” Mats uncomfortably shifted his weight. “He stole two blankets, cushions, food and clothing.”

Robert could hear in the other one's voice that he didn't know what to make out of these stolen goods.

For one moment, he just sat there, taken aback, because this was nothing he normally had to deal with like so many other landowners.

“Do you want to question him yourself Mylord or shall Thomas handle that?” the second head of his guards finally asked.

Robert rubbed his temple where a bad headache began to settle in. “No, I will do that myself. Where did you catch him?”

“He's still outside in yard before the gate, Mylord. Shall I bring him to the knight's hall?”

Robert sighed. “No, I'll come with you. I could do with some fresh air and sun,” he said, rising to his feet. Mats nodded and held the door open for him before closing it and following him outside to the gate of the castle, right next to the beautiful lime tree.

 

\--------------------------------------

 

Robert didn't look left or right as he made his way to the gate where he could see Thomas and two young guards watching a trembling figure kneeling on the stones of the large yard.

“Mylord Robert, this is Andreas, one of your new farmers. He works on the fields at the east side of the castle. He stole food and clothing.” Thomas informed him, and Robert could tell by the sound of his voice that his right hand man felt as confused about this incident as he felt.

He stopped in front of the kneeling man, considering his scared, pale face. The man must be somewhere in his late thirties, older than him, and there was not only fear and real despair in his gaze, but also something akin to defiance and almost hate. Robert frowned, not one single member of his household had ever been in the need of hating him.

“You are new, Andreas and you obviously don't know me well enough to know that there is no need for stealing the things you can ask for, so I'm inclined to hear you out before I'll decide what I shall do with you. Thieves are not welcome in Castle Lindelborn,” he said and the man swallowed, audibly, the defiance replacing the fear.

“I asked for the things, but, I was told that I couldn't get them, that it was my own business to see to the well-being of my family,” he replied, lifting his chin up in defiance.

Robert stared down at him, his face impassive. Of course, Robert wanted his farmers and his other charges to work for their living, he didn't appreciate laziness, but the things Andreas had wanted to steal had nothing to do with unnecessary luxury, and the young earl was curious now. “Who told you that and when did they tell you that?” he inquired, gesturing at Thomas to let the man get up to his feet.

Andreas stood up, his eyes watching the dark-haired nobleman mistrustfully. “One of your guards at the gate, two nights ago. My cottage was burnt in a fire and I came to Castle Lindelborn for help. There is nothing left but our barn and my wife and my daughter have no place to stay but there. I was told by my neighbor that the Earl of Lindelborn was a honorable man and that he would help us, so I came here after quenching the fire. But, your guard didn't let me in, and he also didn't listen to me, only said that you weren't there and that I should build a new cottage myself. My wife Caroline has gone into labor after the fire and she lies in the barn, my older daughter her only assistance. She's sick and she needs food and blankets...” The poor man's voice cracked as he choked on his tears.

Robert unconsciously balled his fists and the farmer flinched, obviously thinking that he was about to punish him. The earl inhaled deeply and unclenched his hand, laying his right hand upon his shoulder while turning his head to give Thomas the needed orders.

“Thomas, send someone to call Anna and Theresa. They shall pack their things, immediately, and come here. You will accompany them with two guards to the barn and if Andreas' wife is in the state to be brought here, you will bring her to the castle. If not, you'll bring her after she has given birth to her child. I don't want her and her child staying in a barn and without proper care. You will take horses to be faster. Andreas will follow you later on. Hurry up, there is no time to waste!” he said, urgently and Thomas nodded, turning around on his heels before his lord had even finished the last sentence. “Yes, Mylord, we're on our way,” he called over his shoulder, and Robert nodded and looked at Mats who stood beside him.

“Mats, see to a cart being packed with the things Andreas and his family will need.” He gazed at the farmer whose teary eyes threatened to fall out of his head, the defiance all gone and replaced by awe and such a deep gratitude that Robert suddenly felt close to tears himself. “Is there anything left after the fire, Andreas?” he asked, his voice hoarse with emotions.

The farmer shook his head. “Only the barn, a few plates and goblets, Mylord,” he whispered and Robert smiled at him. “You will get what you need, Andreas. How old is your daughter?” The man blinked in confusion. “She is eight years old, Mylord.”

Robert nodded. “Very well. Mats, you heard it. They'll need blankets and cushions, clothing and enough supplies for the start. There is a chest in my private dining room with some stuff of mine, and the dolls my mother loved to sew. Take the one with the long blond hair, there is a young girl who is in desperate need of a new doll.”

“B-b-but, My-mylord, you can't...” Andreas stuttered, tears streaming over his face, freely now.

“Of course, I can. I am so sorry that this happened to you, Andreas, I can assure you that this is not the way I treat my charges when they need me. Can you tell me who of my guards gave you this answer?” Robert asked and the farmer bit his lip, unsure what to say.

“That was me, Mylord Robert,” a voice suddenly sounded at his left side, and the shorter one of the two guards who had watched Andreas before Robert's appearance stepped forward. Robert looked at him, hiding his thoughts behind an impassive mask.

“I see. Care to tell me why you behaved this way, Jonas? I know that you are new to all of this, but, I thought I had made myself clear when you joined my guards,” Robert wanted to know, feeling disappointed.

Jonas blushed, but he didn't avert his gaze. “You had, Mylord. I am sorry that I misinterpreted the situation, I thought that Andreas wanted to lure us out of the castle. There had been rumors about a robber band making trouble nearby and I thought that he was one of them. No one had informed us about a fire and we also didn't smell fire, probably because the wind blew from the other side. I am sorry and I will accept every punishment you'll see fit, Mylord.”

Robert acknowledged that with a short nod. Jonas had acted wrong and against his clear orders, but, he had apparently done so because he had wanted to protect the castle and this was something that spoke for him.

“You're right, Jonas, I'll have to punish you for that. Who was on guard duty with you two nights ago?”

Jonas swallowed. “Stefan, Karl and Anton.” Robert could see that he expected to be beaten with the stick or the whip or that Robert would throw him into the prison cell for a couple of days. This was the usual punishment for disobedience other lords used, but this wouldn't get Robert anywhere. Plus, it wouldn't help the poor farmer getting a new roof over his head and so, he said:

“Fair enough, Jonas. You and your three companions will go with Andreas when Mats has seen to the cart and you four will build him a new cottage.” He raised his hand when he saw the young guard gulp for air. “I know that you don't have the knowledge to do that on your own, so I will send Master Christoph with you. I don't need him here at the moment, and he will come with you and instruct you. I expect you to build the cottage with great care and a lot of enthusiasm, understood? There is a young mother who needs a place where she can see to her baby after her recovery.”

Jonas swallowed again, but he bowed before Robert with a relieved smile. “Andreas will have a proper home again, Mylord Robert,” he said and the dark-haired earl could see that the young man had learned his lesson and wouldn't do something like that again in the future.

He dismissed him and Jonas headed in the direction of the castle to inform the other three guards about their new task while Robert laid his hand upon Andreas' shoulder. “Come with me Andreas. You look as if you needed some food yourself. Look, my maid and the midwife are already on their way to your Caroline, she will be in best hands, I promise you. You can follow them as soon as my men have seen to the supplies you'll need during the next days.” He pointed at Anna and Theresa who had just climbed their horses with Thomas' help, waving a short goodbye at their lord before leaving the castle in a cloud of dust. Robert always made sure that each member of his household could ride in case they needed to go somewhere as fast as possible and Anna was a good rider despite her roundness.

Andreas blinked and he looked as if he wanted to drop down to his knees and kiss his hand. “Thank you so much, Mylord. I swear to you that I am not a thief, I work for my living. But, when Caroline went into labor...”

“I know, Andreas. You don't need to apologize, I would have done the same if I'd been in your place,” Robert told him, guiding him to the entrance of the castle, unaware of the pair of brown eyes following him from underneath the lime tree until he was out of sight.

 

_This is the stair leading up to Castle Lindelborn_

  



	11. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario has witnessed how Robert treats his people. Will he now start to trust him more?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear readers, I'm sorry this update took me so long. It became rather fluffy, I hope this will make up for the long wait. Please, share your thoughts with me what you think of my Trifels-series and especially of this part of it!  
> Dear superfragalistic, I hope that you're still reading and enjoying your story!

Mario had sat under the beautiful lime tree for two more hours, thinking about what he had witnessed earlier. Of course, he had known that Robert had killed Eberhart only to save them and get them out of Castle Drachenfels, but to know something and to feel something were two different kind of things. Now, he felt and believed that Robert was one of the good guys and not the devil in disguise he had feared the dark-haired nobleman would turn into if he did anything the young earl didn't appreciate.

The Earl of Lindelborn might be a merciless warrior if he had to be one to save the ones he cared for, but he was also a kindhearted protector and saw to his charges and his people like even not Mario's father normally did without the prospect of getting something in return.

Robert hadn't been aware of Mario watching the scene, that much the young man knew for sure. He hadn't only played the role of the gentle lord, but helped the poor farmer who had lost nearly everything because it was his nature to care for his underlings like every good nobleman should do.

Before witnessing this incident, Mario had just been grateful that Robert had saved him, and he had started to trust him at least a little bit, sensing that he had no other choice and hoping that the dark-haired knight was speaking the truth when he said that he wouldn't harm him. But now, he had to admit to himself that his feelings towards the older man had changed again. Now, he wasn't only grateful and willing to stay in Castle Lindelborn until he had fully recovered, now, he wanted to stay because he wanted to get to know Robert better. Mario wanted to spend time with him and learn more about the fascinating earl, and he wanted to prove to him that he was worthy to be liked and respected.

Worthy to be loved.

Mario flinched by this almost bold thought, asking himself where these feelings came from all of a sudden. Could it really be that Detlef and Eberhart hadn't erased his own ability to feel love and desire for another man – any other human being with their cruelty? Could it really be that he could want more than only friendliness, protection and respect from the older man with the handsome, male features and the most beautiful deep blue eyes he had ever seen in his entire life?

Mario blinked and shook his head to clear his mind of the dizziness he suddenly felt. Robert had shown him the kindness of a caring friend or an older brother so far, and he surely wouldn't be interested in a damaged and scarred boy who had been raped and abused in the cruelest way possible countless times. But, he also wouldn't do the same to him, Mario could feel this deep in his heart after what he had learned only a couple of hours ago. He was safe with him and he actually felt safe for the first time in months.

The young man rose to his feet with newly revived spirits, eager to explore the huge and impressive castle that felt like a true shelter now. Maybe, it would even become his home some day. Not the home he had known since he had been a small child, but a true home, nonetheless.

Mario started off towards the stables strolling over the large place between the lime tree and the walls protecting the castle from attacks with a smile on his beaten face. Later, he would go to Robert and tell him that he trusted him and was ready to give them a chance to become friends. But right now, he wanted to enjoy his unexpected but so welcomed new freedom and explore the place where he would live for the next weeks and months.

For once, Mario would neither be the son of a rather important nobleman, nor the servant or the slave of another 'nobleman', who wasn't a nobleman, at all.

For once, he would only be a young man, only Mario and no one else.

 

\---------------------------------------------

 

Robert found himself pacing up and down nervously in his private dining room a few hours after he had said goodbye to Andreas, the young father who had thanked him again and again for everything the earl had done for him. Robert had made sure that Andreas had eaten enough and that the cart was loaded with the things the farmer and his family would need, assuring him that he could come to him whenever he needed help before the overwhelmed man had left his castle.

The Earl of Lindelborn had accompanied Andreas to the gate, furtively looking around to search for Mario, but the young man hadn't been nowhere in sight and Robert had denied himself his wish to go after him and check each and every room of his castle until he had found him. He had told his young protégé that he was no prisoner and could go wherever he wanted to go, and Mario had promised him to not leave the castle without telling him. The most important thing was to show him the respect and the trust the young man needed and deserved, and to give him time on his own instead of choking him with restraints and rules after what he had went through for months. Robert had balled his fists and turned around to go back and see to his duties, determined to believe in Mario's words, but now, after waiting for the sweet boy to come back to him, he felt nervous and anxiously like hell.

What if Mario was in trouble because he had gone outside the castle without noticing it? What if he had trapped himself somewhere he couldn't get out on his own anymore?

What if he had changed his mind and left the castle?

“Robert?” the silent and questioning voice coming from the door pulled Robert out of his worried musings within an instant and he spun around on his heels, staring at the young man who had occupied his mind for the last hour.

Mario stood on the threshold, looking at him, his gaze a mixture of hope and uncertainty. He seemed to be unharmed and his cheeks actually showed the slightest hint of a wonderful rosiness.

The dark-haired knight wasn't prepared for the rush of overwhelming emotions surging through him with such force that his vision blurred and he had to clench his hands and dig his nails into his palms for one moment to not just run to the shorter one and pull him into a tight embrace. Relief, joy, desire and love, paired with protectiveness and possessiveness coursed through his veins, and Robert inhaled deeply to calm himself down and force his shaking voice into the friendly tone that wouldn't deter Mario like showing his true feelings certainly would.

“Mario! Come in, please. Dinner should be ready in a couple of minutes,” he said, glad that he didn't sound as hoarse as he had feared that he would sound.

Mario entered the room fully by his voice, closing the door behind him. “Thank you, Robert. I'm sorry that I let you wait?” He raised his tone to a question at the end of his sentence and Robert hurried to smile at his guest and pull the chair for him. “You didn't let me wait, Mario. I told you that you are not a prisoner and that you can spend your time here the way you want to. I also didn't tell you a special time to come back, so don't worry about that, please. Did you have a good day, Sunny?”

Robert sat down opposite Mario, filling their mugs with the light white wine he preferred instead of the heavy red wine other aristocrats normally drank.

Mario smiled at him, taking his goblet from him. Their fingers touched briefly as Mario did so, and Robert felt as if his skin were burning right where Mario's fingertips had brushed over his own. “Thank you, Robert.” The younger man kept his eyes on him while he sipped from the delicious liquid, their expression musing and curious, but without any sign of fear or mistrust. Robert suppressed the urge to swallow down the content of his own goblet with one huge gulp, his throat tight and dry like sand all of a sudden.

“Yes, I had a good day.” Mario put the goblet back onto the table, licking one last drop from his smooth bottom lip to catch everything of the precious beverage. Robert's throat went tighter if this was even possible, and his trousers felt as tight as his throat did by this tempting and yet so innocent gesture. The Earl of Lindelborn was pretty sure that all Mario had drunken in a rather long time had been ugly smelling, muddy water, and it was clear that he didn't try to seduce Robert with his behavior, but only savored the food and drinks that wouldn't cause him nausea and painful cramps of his stomach.

“First, I slept under the lime tree for a while, and then, I explored your wonderful castle. I hope that you don't mind that, Robert,” Mario told him, and Robert was about to reach out and squeeze his fingers in reassurance when the door opened and a young servant carried a large tray with their dinner upon it into the room. He paused, nodding friendly at the young man. “Thank you, Herbert, we can serve ourselves.”

“As you wish, my lord,” Herbert said, carefully putting the tray onto the table and leaving the room with a short bow. Robert waited until he had closed the door again before he took Mario's plate to fill it with the stew steaming in the bowl placed in the middle of the tray.

“I should be the one serving you, Robert, not the other way around.” Mario blushed, trying to take the plate, but Robert shook his head. “You are my welcomed and honored guest, Sunny. You are not my servant, and I won't let anybody treat you like one, and I will surely be the last one to start with that,” he said, sternly, and Mario's blush deepened. He tilted his head to the side, watching his host laying a slice of bread at the edge of the plate. “Do you serve all of your guests, Robert?” he asked, and the dark-haired knight could have sworn that there was a teasing undertone in Mario's smooth and warm voice.

“That depends on the guests, Sunny. Not everyone.” He put the plate onto the table before him, his deep blue eyes scanning Mario's face to get a clue about what the young man who had trapped his heart that easily was thinking. For one moment, they simply looked at each other without speaking before Mario averted his eyes to consider his plate, unconsciously playing with his spoon.

“Is something wrong, Sunny? Do you want anything else to eat?” Robert finally asked when Mario didn't start to try the stew. Mario raised his head and smiled at him. Robert couldn't remember having ever seen such a sweet smile, forgetting how to breathe as he drank in the sight of the bruised and beaten face lighting up with something akin to real happiness as Mario smiled this wonderful smile at him.

“No, Robert. It is perfect. My nanny oftentimes cooked stew for me when I was a little boy, and I always loved it. Much more than what my parents thought to be appropriate for their guests and what I had to eat when I was old enough to join them at the dinner table. I don't like quail's eggs and such things. Bread with cheese, stew and soup or pies, that's what I like the most. Thank you for this wonderful dinner.”

Robert's fingers clenched around his own spoon. He longed to touch the young man who had suffered so badly, to pull him in his lap and kiss the bruises until they wouldn't hurt any longer. But, he had to stay away from Mario and prove to him that not all men where like those ugly creatures Detlef and Eberhart. “You're so welcome, Sunny,” he said instead, returning Mario's smile as tenderly as he dared to do. “I like simple meals much more than those things myself, and I would never think of ordering such dishes when I'm alone. I oftentimes take my meals with my men, I rather have company instead of having lunch or dinner all alone in my room. I can imagine what Eberhart forced you to eat during the last months, if he allowed you to eat at all, that is. Your stomach has to get used to proper food the slow way, and I thought that light meals would be better for the start. Enjoy your meal, Sunny.”

“Thank you, Robert. Enjoy your meal, too.” Mario eventually picked up the spoon, starting to eat and after a few seconds, Robert followed his example and loaded his spoon with the deliciously smelling stew, as well.

They ate in silence, Robert not wanting to disturb Mario who must feel pain when he chewed because of his injuries, and Mario seemed to chew not only on his bread, but also on something else, because he laid his spoon to the side when he had emptied half of his plate.

“I woke up when you came to the gate to talk to the farmer.” The young man started out of the blue, watching Robert attentively as he waited for his reaction.

Robert swallowed down his bite, his appetite suddenly gone. “I'm so sorry, Mario,” he croaked out, readying himself for Mario's rightful anger. He had betrayed him and he would admit his fault and take over responsibility for his actions.

The brunet frowned, tilting his head to the side again. “For what are you sorry, Robert? For treating your underlings and charges like human beings? For seeing to them when they need you?” His gaze became mistrustful. “Or that I witnessed this scene? Are you ashamed of your humanity?”

Robert blinked. Mario indeed sounded angry, but the earl had the suspicion that he wasn't angry for the reason he had thought he would be, but for something else.

“No, of course, I'm not sorry for treating my charges well, Sunny. But, I betrayed you. I promised you that Anna would stay with you and be the one seeing to your wounds. Only Anna and no one else. And now, she is gone because I sent her away a couple of hours after making this promise. I had hoped that she would come back tonight, but I fear that she will have to stay with Andreas' wife for much longer than I had first thought,” he said, not caring that his voice sounded almost pleadingly.

Mario stared at him with a dropped jaw. “You thought that I would be angry with you because you sent Anna to someone needing her much more than I do?”

Robert nodded his head, silently, and Mario reached out to cover his hand still clenched around the spoon with his own without thinking. “There is a young mother who will most likely die without Anna's help. She and her baby need Anna, and I am glad and grateful that you sent her to the barn, Robert. Please, don't think that I could bear a grudge against you because you did what you had to do in order to save two innocent lives!”

Robert loosened his grip around the metal to take Mario's hand. “I'm glad that you think that way, my dear Sunny. But, I promised you that I wouldn't let anyone else come near you, and now, I have to look for another maid to see to your injuries while Anna is away...”

Mario bit his lip, gazing at him from underneath his eyelashes. “I wouldn't mind if you would do that, Robert...” he went silent, blushing and casting his eyes down as he pulled his hand away. “I'm sorry, Robert. It was impudent to ask this question. Of course, another maid will be fine.”

Robert wasn't sure whether he could believe his ears or if his imagination was playing tricks on him, but Mario's behavior assured him that he heard right. He stood up and circled the table to kneel down beside the young man's chair. “You would be okay with me taking care of you? Really? I would feel honored if you trusted me enough to let me do this for you, Sunny.”

“Really? You don't think that this isn't something an important earl like you shouldn't do?” Mario worried his lip again.

Robert lifted his hand up and gently stroked over the red spot on his smooth bottom lip where Mario's teeth had cut into the tender flesh. “I am happy that you asked me and that you rather want me to take care of you than another maid you don't know. Happier than I can tell you. And no, I don't think that this is something I shouldn't do. Quite the opposite. Thank you, Mario. I want to take care of you and show you that not all men are monsters like Eberhart and Detlef. My home is your home as long as you want to stay here, and I will do everything I can do to make you feel at home here, Sunny.”

Mario snuggled his cheek into Robert's calloused palm, his entire body relaxing as the tension left him. “You already did, Robert,” he whispered, huskily, his eyes filled with tears, but Robert could see that they were tears of joy. “Castle Lindelborn started to feel like a real home when I saw how you cared for Andreas and his family. I feel at home here because you are here, Robert, because you make it feel like home.”

Robert's eyes were filled with tears, too, as he stood up to pull Mario into a gentle embrace. “Then, I will make sure that Castle Lindelborn will stay your home forever, Sunny. As long as I live and breathe, my castle will be your home, I promise you.”

And this was a promise Robert was determined to keep, no matter the cost.


	12. Under The Lime Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario is having nightmares again, and Robert tries to comfort and help him. Will he find a solution to let both of them find some undisturbed sleep during the rest of the night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am in the mood for my Trifels-series, and I wanted to finally update this story, as well. There is not much happening in this chapter, but I found it important to show how much Mario is still suffering, especially when he is defenseless in his sleep. I hope you will like this chapter, please let me know. I also have added photos of Castle Drachenfels from under the chapters 4 to 9, and one of them shows the dragon carved into one of the castle's walls that most likely gave the castle its name.

“No, no, please, don't! Detlef don't do that, no!!!!”

Mario's loud and horrified scream had Robert sitting in their bed within an instant, startling him out of his fitful slumber rather rudely. The young earl blinked to orientate himself, carefully pulling the tossing and turning young man next to him in his arms.

“Hush, shshshsh, you're safe, I'm right here with you. Detlef isn't there to hurt you again, Sunny, I promise you,” he murmured into his fragrant hair, rocking the trembling and sobbing brunet until Mario finally calmed down with one last shaky inhale. He flung his arms around Robert's back and buried his face on his shoulder.

“I'm so sorry that I've woken you up again,” he mumbled, devastated, and Robert dared to pull him fully into his lap when he sensed that Mario was awake enough himself and wouldn't take it as a part of his nightmare and think that Detlef was about to rape him. “What did I tell you about apologizing and being sorry for things you don't have to be sorry for, at all?” he said, gently, resisting the urge to place a kiss on Mario's cold cheek.

“But, you need your sleep, Robert! You should really let me sleep in another room where I won't be able to disturb you.” Mario's weak attempt to be brave and reasonable was diminished by his body that pressed closer to Robert, trying to crawl into him for shelter to its own will.

Robert's heart ached for the sweet young man in his arms. “Do you really believe that I could sleep undisturbed knowing that you would have to deal with your memories and bad dreams all alone and without anyone being there for you? Without me being there for you? I'd rather not sleep for the next days than letting you down when you need me the most, don't you ever doubt that, Sunny.”

Mario's body relaxed against him, trembling with his exhaustion. Robert kept rocking him while he thought about a solution to keep his nightmares away for the rest of the night, not because of he himself but because of Mario who needed some hours of undisturbed sleep so badly after the months when he had had to keep his guard up even during his short and fitful, haunted sleep.

After dinner, Robert had seen to the younger one's already healing wounds with greatest care and respect; and Mario's trust in him when he hadn't pulled away even when Robert had had to apply the ointment on his most private parts had touched him more than anything had ever touched him before. He had suggested that they would sleep without touching, only lying close to each other, but this obviously didn't work. They needed to find another solution, and Robert chewed on his lips while he considered their options.

“What do you think about trying something else, Sunny? It is rather dark in the room, and you told me that you slept peacefully under the lime tree. Maybe, sleeping in any chamber, no matter how splendid it might be, is still giving you the feeling of being trapped? It is rather warm outside, we could sleep outside on one of the balconies or under the lime tree if you'd like that better for example. You could feel the soft wind and see the stars and the moonlight there.”

Mario lifted his head from his shoulder, staring at him in awe. “You would do that for me, Robert?” he asked, amazed and with hope audible in his from his screams husky voice.

“Of course, I will. Anything that will make you feel safe and let you get some peace and rest. Do you wanna give it a try?” Robert stroked his cheek, and Mario nodded his head. “Yes, please, I would like that. Can we sleep under the lime tree, please?”

Wherever you want to, Sunny.” The Earl of Lindelborn smiled at him, gently pushing him away. “Shall we get up, then? Julian and Roman can help us with the blankets, but we need to dress because it will be too cold outside otherwise.”

Mario nodded again, sitting upright and gliding from the bed. The prospect of sleeping under the beautiful lime tree had revived his spirits, and Robert felt warmth pooling in his stomach when he watched him dress with the clothes he had worn as a young man. They suited Mario perfectly, and they would also give him a feeling of safety. Robert knew that his guards would never try to make a move on the handsome young nobleman or treat him in any other way than with greatest respect, but his Sunny would feel more comfortable being dressed properly in front of them. He followed his example, and when they were both ready, he stepped outside and called for his personal guards to help them with the blankets they would need.

Robert had slept oftentimes under the tree when he had been younger, and he found himself looking forward to it, a soft smile lightening up his features when he took one of the furs and a cushion and followed Mario through the gloomy corridor and into the bright light of the silvery moon.

 

\--------------------------------------------------

 

Mario had been worried about the reaction to their uncommon wish to sleep under the lime tree, but Julian and Roman had behaved as if this was the most common and natural thing to do, suggesting to use the thick straw mats they kept in one of the storage rooms near the tree, and carrying the furs and the cushions without any sidelong glance. They had helped arranging the mats and the cushions until they formed some kind of cozy nest and now, Mario lay snuggled close to the older man under the softly rustling leaves of the tree, carefully wrapped in the furs to keep him warm and safe for the rest of the mild summer night.

“Are you comfortable, Sunny?” the earl's voice broke in on his marveling about the uncommon behavior of his charges and subordinates, and Mario lifted his head from his chest to look at him. He hadn't thought about what he was doing when he had nestled against his side and pillowed his head on his chest, but it felt right and natural, and Robert also didn't seem to mind it, at all.

“Yes, I'm fine, thank you, Robert,” he said, and he really meant it. He felt as if he could finally breathe without choking for the first time, and his body eventually relaxed, succumbing to his exhaustion. Mario hadn't realized until now how much he had still felt like a prisoner, not so much during the day, when the bright sunlight was chasing away the dark shadows, but during the nights when the darkness turned Castle Lindelborn into another gloomy maze he felt trapped and haunted in.

“I'm sorry, Robert, I know that your home is not a prison but a safe place, but I just can't help feeling trapped in close rooms. I really feel much better here under the tree,” he apologized, and Robert smiled reassuringly at him.

“That's why I suggested to give it a try. You don't have to apologize, Sunny, I understand you, believe me. After some time has passed, you will feel safe in our bedroom, as well. Until then, we will sleep outside, and in case it is raining, we can try a balcony with a roof or maybe one of the stables. They are not as small and closed like the rooms in the castle, and they could work for you, as well. Now, go to sleep, I will do the same.”

Mario laid his head back on his chest again. “Yes, I am sure that I can sleep this way, thank you, Robert. I wish you a good night,” he said, and the last thing he felt before the slumber of exhaustion claimed him was a tender kiss on his hair. “Sleep well, Sunny.”

 

\--------------------------------------------------

 

Robert woke up when the first rays of the orange morning sun crawled over the horizon, and the beauty of the early summer morning took his breath away. It had been a rather long time since he had last slept under a tree without having to worry about any attackers, because he had always been on the field and awaited a bloody battle over the past years when he had had to sleep outside a safe building.

The young earl actually liked sleeping in the free and wild nature of his beloved home, but he had been reasonable enough to seek shelter in inns whenever he had had to travel from one castle or city to another place, knowing that the possibility of being robbed and murdered was still there but less likely on such places. His instincts always told him which places were safe and which not, and he never traveled alone, but always with some of his men.

It was an unknown but welcomed luxury to wake up under a beautiful tree and watch the nature wake up around him, as well, and this without the threat of someone sneaking up on him to rob or kill him. A few birds sang cheerful melodies, hidden within the thick green leaves above them, and the orange light of the sun overlaid everything with a golden shimmer.

Robert let his eyes wander around, trying to see his surroundings through the eyes of his guest still sound asleep in his arms. The buildings of his castle were in perfect shape, the red and gray ashlar blocks shining in the sunlight, each block perfectly in place. The paths and yards were well trimmed and neat, no weed overgrowing them, and the small bushes and trees between the buildings granting shadow for those who needed to rest a little bit. The wooden gate didn't show any sign of decay or damages, and his guards' posture was proud and strong. They wouldn't let anyone come closer to their castle who might want to endanger their home and their lord, ready to defend those who lived here in peace at all cost.

Yes, his home was a beautiful place to live in, and Robert hoped with all his heart that Mario would consider his castle as his home, too, and find the rest and peace he needed for his wounds to heal, not only the physical ones, but most of all the emotional wounds. This would be the hardest part, and Robert was amazed and grateful at the same time that Mario didn't have problems with letting himself be touched by him. He had seen other men and women who hadn't stood being touched after less horrible things that had happened to them, and he knew that one false move could make him lose the trust the young man had in him forever.

Robert looked down at the tousled shock of soft brown hair spread out on his chest, listening to Mario's slow and deep breathing. He had obviously been right with his suspicion that the young man he had come to care about so much would be able to sleep better and feel more comfortable outside the dark chamber, because they had both slept peacefully for the rest of the night, undisturbed and without any other nightmare.

The dark-haired earl couldn't resist to stroke the shimmering and fragrant hair, as much as he would have loved to let Mario sleep for longer, but he needed to get up, soon, his duties as the lord of such an important and large castle forcing him to get his personal wishes and needs in line.

Some of his servants were already busied, heading to the stables or the kitchen, and Robert could see them briefly turning their heads to take a look at the unfamiliar sight of their lord sleeping under the lime tree, but none of them stopped or tried to approach him, respecting his privacy without another thought. Of course, they would talk about this strange behavior in the kitchen or the stables, but Robert knew for sure that there would be only little gossip. His charges would never risk losing their jobs and their home because of such a behavior, and he also knew that Mario had already won the hearts of his personal guards and his maid Anna. They would take care of no one gossiping around, and Robert himself would see to those who might want to overstep their lines, personally, in case something unlikely like this would happen.

Mario stirring in his arms broke in on his musings, and he looked at him again. “Good morning, Sunny, did you sleep well?” he asked when hooded brown eyes met his gaze. The son of the Earl of Lewenberc hid a yawn behind his palm and nodded his head. “Good morning, Robert. Yes, I slept wonderfully, thank you. I hope that it wasn't too uncomfortable for you.”

Robert smiled at him, stroking briefly through his hair. “It was perfect, Sunny, I had almost forgotten how much I love sleeping under the lime tree. I have to thank you for this opportunity, and I am looking forward to do it again.”

Mario's smile was sweet and happy as he sat up, looking around and taking in the sight of the early summer morning like Robert had done only a couple of minutes ago. “Your home is so beautiful, Robert,” he sighed, and Robert sat up beside him and wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

“Our home, Sunny. Castle Lindelborn is our home. I am glad that you feel safe and comfortable here, and I will do my very best to let it stay that way. What do you think of having breakfast? We could sneak ourselves in the kitchen and see if we can fetch some food? The bread should be ready and come out of the oven just in time,” he suggested, enjoying the sparks of joy in the younger one's eyes by the prospect of 'stealing' some food right from under the cook's nose.

“But, you are their lord, you can't just walk into the kitchen to get your food. What will your servants think if they see you doing that?” he asked, confused, and Robert chuckled. “If I had to guess, then I would say that they will think that I am a hungry lord?” he countered, “don't worry, I have done this before. I find it important to see where and how my charges are working and to listen to their needs and worries not only in my comfortable chair in the knight's hall but, where they have to sit and to stand the entire day. I know that my behavior is something most other aristocrats would never find suitable or approve, but I don't care about them. My cook Klara has seen me sitting on the bench by her hearth oftentimes. You will like her, she is Anna's younger sister.”

“If you're sure, then I would love to do that!” Mario agreed, happily, accepting Robert's hand for support when he stood up together with the older man. “Freshly baked bread sounds like heaven to me.” His stomach confirmed his words with an eager growl, and Robert chuckled, looking meaningfully at Mario's flat abdomen. “Do I have to fear that there is a bear hiding itself underneath your clothes?” he teased him with a wink of his eyes, and Mario surprised him and teased back: “only if I won't get the promised freshly baked bread. Then, it could be that the bear will come out of its hiding place to growl at you.”

“We should better hurry, then!” Robert stated, jerking his head in the direction of the building nearby. “Klara will be pleased to meet you, so we shouldn't let her wait.” he waved at two servants coming along their way, and they came to the tree with a smile on their faces. “Kuno, Albrich, would you please see to bringing the mats and the furs back where they belong?” he asked them, and the two young men nodded their heads. “Of course, my lord Robert.”

Mario watched them taking the blankets and the mats before he turned to the earl again. “Do you know all of your servants' names?” he asked, amazed. “My father hardly remembers the names of his personal servants.”

“Of course, I know them. They belong to me and my household,” Robert told him with a smile, wrapping his arms around his shoulder again. “You will learn their names, as well, don't worry about that, Sunny. First of all, we have to feed your bear and then, we will talk about the other things. You need to recover and to put on a little bit more weight, and Klara will be more than pleased to see to that, personally.”

“I can't wait to meet her. Anna is such a wonderful person!” Mario agreed and together, they made their way to the kitchen, the warm sun shining onto them and the songs of the birds following them until they were out of sight.

 

_Another view on the tower of Castle Drachenfels which is actually a natural grown rock:_

  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for giving this story a try. Please, share your thoughst with me.


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